


Wrong Number

by argentoswan



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, Texting, more tags to come, text fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-01-24 06:56:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 37,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18566257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/argentoswan/pseuds/argentoswan
Summary: Taako texts a wrong number. Kravitz responds. Everyone else is confused, but they're going with it.(6:32) so we have moved from strangling to murder(6:39) This is… still the wrong number.(6:41) i know i’m crowdsourcing ideas. quick, best way to hide an extremely tiny body?





	1. Chapter 1

Texting Styles:

Taako

**Kravitz**

_Magnus_

**_Merle_ **

_ **Lup** _

Sloane

 

Thursday- PM

(1:32) want to help me strangle merle?

(1:37) **I’m sorry- who is Merle?**

(1:38) um?? our father-figure/alcoholic bff?

(1:38) oh shit. wrong number. sorry

(1:41) **That’s alright. I wish the best to Merle.**

(1:45) you shouldn’t. he’s an asshole

(1:52) **I’ll take your word for it. Good luck strangling him, then.**

(1:55) lmao thx dude

X

Thursday- PM

(6:32) so we have moved from strangling to murder

(6:39) **This is… still the wrong number.**

(6:41) i know i’m crowdsourcing ideas. quick, best way to hide an extremely tiny body?

(6:43) **Are you a murderer?**

(6:44) situationally

(6:49) **Fantastic. Goodbye.**

(6:50) nooooooo come on pls

(6:50) merle deserves it

(6:52) **What did he do?**

(6:53) small n annoying. drinks all the beer

(6:55) **I don’t think that counts as a motive.**

(6:56) so he defo stole my favorite t-shirt and defo used it to mop up water he spilled trying to water his stupid plants

(7:01) **That’s upsetting.**

(7:01) THANK YOU

(7:02) **Still doesn’t constitute murder.**

(7:03) buzzkill. do you think I can at least hit him really hard?

(7:04) **You can maybe hit him lightly.**

(7:05) fuckin cheers m8

(7:09) i hit him. he didn’t like it. defo won’t steal my clothes again tho. thx 4 the help

(7:13) **You’re welcome.**

X

Friday- AM

(9:03) i just got to work and i’m booooored

(9:14) **I’m sorry. I don’t know you.**

(9:17) u helped me attack a dear friend. we’re at least acquaintances

(9:21) **I don’t think that’s how it works.**

(9:24) humor me. how’s ur day going??

(9:31) **I just got to work as well.**

(9:32) where do u work??

(9:33) **Um… no.**

(9:36) fair

(9:36) i work at a thrift shop

(9:41) **That’s wonderful.**

(9:42) don’t b patronizing

(9:44) **I’m… not? My apologies if I came off that way.**

(9:47) hm

(9:47) ur forgiven

(9:48) so tell me about yourself!

(9:51) **No?**

(9:53) why :(

(9:55) **I don’t know you.**

(9:59) u could ;)

(10:04) too forward?

(10:05) **Why are you texting me?**

(10:06): told u, i’m bored. So r u a male, female, both, none of the above?

(10:10) **I don’t think I’m supposed to tell strangers this kind of stuff.**

(10:11) **Male.**

(10:13) ooh la la

(10:13) i’m male too. kind of. loosely

(10:13) age?

(10:15) **No. Sorry. Goodbye.**

(10:16) ah shit

X

Friday- AM

(11:21) maggie im booooooooored

(11:32) _idk how to help you, taako._

(11:35) amuse me

(11:36) _aren’t you supposed to put your phone away while you’re working?_

(11:37) aren’t u?

(11:39) _touche_

(11:41) i was texting this random number but he got boring and stopped replying

(11:42) _isn’t that dangerous?_

(11:45) i didn’t give him my social security number dumbass

(11:46) not this time, at least

(11:50) _don’t take this the wrong way, but I literally can’t wait for you to get your identity stolen._

(11:52) fuckin asshole

(11:53) u _coming over tonight?_

(11:52) ofc. merle isn’t talking to me rn but he’ll be there too

(11:53) _do I want to know?_

(11:54) don’t mess w taako

(11:55) _ok cool._

X

Saturday- PM

(2:31) **What kind of thrift store do you work at?**

(2:45) down boy. now u want to talk?

(2:46) **No, I just**

(2:46) **Sorry.**

(2:48) lmao no it’s fine dude

(2:49) clothing store. kind of like goodwill but worse u know?

(2:50) **That sounds like fun.**

(2:53)  its not but sometimes i can snatch up some good clothes

(2:53) gonna tell me where u work now?

(3:00) **It is substantially less interesting than a thrift store.**

(3:03) i find that hard 2 believe

(3:04) **I work in a mortuary.**

(3:06) oof. ngl that’s a lil weird mate

(3:06) i dig it tho! u see a lot of dead bodies?

(3:07) **Yes.**

(3:08) epic

(3:10) ok don’t get me wrong im glad u texted me random stranger but i gtg make sure my brother in law didnt just drop a pickled brain

(3:11) **What?**

(3:12) ya, me too. ttyl

(3:13) **Goodbye.**

X

Sunday- AM

(8:02)  hey KRAV 

(8:11) **Too early, Sloane.**

(8:12)  ok mood but also come on 

(8:12)  listen I need love advice and who else would I go to other than you? 

(8:13) **Are you serious…?**

(8:14)  you’ve got moves, krav, you just don’t know how to use them 

(8:15) **See also: no one to use them on.**

(8:16)  see also: maybe if you left the funeral home every once in a while you’d find someone 

(8:19)  krav? 

(8:21) **You texted me at eight in the morning on a Sunday to criticize my love life?**

(8:22)  you’re right. sorry 

(8:23) **It’s fine. I’m joking.**

(8:23) **What’s this love crisis, then?**

(8:25)  my anniversary w Hurley is coming up and I don’t know what to do 

(8:26) **Wow. A worthy crisis.**

(8:27)  this is serious krav. It’s our three year anniversary and it’s gotta be good but I used up all my ideas last year 

(8:29) **The ice sculpture was your only idea?**

(8:30)  yes 

(8:31) **Tragic.**

(8:32)  pleeeeease krav 

(8:33)  i’ll get u a really nice bottle of wine 

(8:35) **You really think you have to bribe me to help you, Sloane?**

(8:36)  you’re right. okay, no wine then 

(8:36) **Wait.**

(8:38)  that’s what I thought, nerd 

X

Sunday- PM

(4:34) gimme a bop

(4:36) **Sorry?**

(4:37) a bop. u know, a jam, a banger

(4:37) gimme a song u like

(4:39) **Oh. Well, I mostly listen to opera**

(4:41) of fucking course u do

(4:41) ur no help, but thx i guess

(4:43) **Why do you need a song?**

(4:45) i have the aux

(4:46) wait actually. gimme an opera bop

(4:47) **I’m assuming that you are only asking so that you can torture your riding companions with opera. I’m going to politely decline.**

(4:48) fuck

(4:49) absolutely no help

(4:51) **I’m sorry that I respect opera as an art.**

(4:52) u’d better be

(4:54) **As long as we are sharing advice, might I ask you-**

(4:54) **What would be your ideal anniversary present?**

(4:56) aw shucks, stud. dont u think ur moving a little too fast?

(4:57) **No, I’m not**

(4:57) **I didn’t mean**

(4:58) joking. relax

(4:59) is this for u or a friend?

(5:03) **Friend.**

(5:05) hmm. u got a boo?

(5:06) **A what?**

(5:07) a partner. a significant other. a ~lover~

(5:09) **No. Why?**

(5:10) just checkin my prospects, stud ;)

(5:11) this friend of urs. what’s the anniversary?

(5:13) **Three years.**

(5:14) oof that’s a biggie

(5:15) what about an ice sculpture?

(5:16) **Remarkably, she’s already done that.**

(5:18) shit. she’s good. ok

(5:18) idk i’ve never made it to a third anniversary. jewelry?

(5:20) **Her girlfriend isn’t really the jewelry type.**

(5:21) boring. fine

(5:21) what abt an experience of some kind? like. shit idk. cooking lessons

(5:23) **Cooking lessons.**

(5:24) u don’t get to ask for my advice and then judge it, my dude

(5:26) **No, just**

(5:26) **That might be a good idea.**

(5:26) might?

(5:26) **I’ll pass it on. Thank you.**

(5:27) no problemo bubbeleh. give my congrats 2 the happy couple

(5:28) **I will. Enjoy being the DJ.**

(5:28) u kno i will

X

Sunday- PM

(5:08) _who are you texting?_

(5:10) friends. fuck off, magnus

(5:11) _you don’t have friends_

(5:12) holy shit u r the worst

(5:12) why r u texting me we r in the same car

(5:13) _wasn’t sure if it was a secret_

(5:14) how fuckin considerate

(5:14) _you aren’t texting me or merle or lup, and barry is driving. there’s no one else you could be texting_

(5:16) fuckin RUDE

(5:17) its just a person u fucker

(5:18) _what does that mean??_

(5:19) i texted a wrong number the other day and they texted back

(5:20) it ain’t that deep

(5:22) _wait that same wrong number from friday??_

(5:23) ya

(5:24) _rando stranger??_

(5:25) u gonna tell on me?

(5:26) _should i?_

(5:28) _are you being safe?_

(5:29) yes, mom. we’re using protection and everything

(5:30) _no listen. i’ve seen catfish before. i just want to make sure you’re being careful._

(5:31) wow i love having u on my ASS all the time mags

(5:32) he’s gone now. don’t worry

(5:33) _i’m just trying to watch out for you, taako._

(5:34) aw. that’s sweet

(5:34) watch out for this

(5:34) _taako_

(5:36) _ok no you can’t just rick roll a man_

(5:41) _TAAKO TURN IT OFF_

X

Monday- AM

(10:21) i wish i worked at goodwill

(10:34) **Are off-brand thrift stores really that bad?**

(10:36) who said we were off brand?

(10:37) **Just a hunch.**

(10:38) ya, they’re pretty bad. it’s just a bunch of teens in here

(10:39) not even fashionable ones

(10:41) **There are fashionable teens?**

(10:43) shit my dude, shots fired

(10:43) got some pent up animosity towards teens?

(10:45) **I’m a bit too old now to understand them, I guess.**

(10:47) opera and a disdain for today’s youth. one foot in the retirement home?

(10:49) **Hardly.**

(10:51) that’s right. no personal info, huh?

(10:52) **Well, you are a stranger.**

(10:53) yet ur still texting me ;)

(10:55) ;)

(11:01) come on dude im still bored

(11:04) **Sorry. Client came in.**

(11:07) dead or alive?

(11:08) **Alive. I forgot I told you where I worked.**

(11:09) i still have a few questions abt that

(11:12) **Understandable.**

(11:13) what do morticians do exactly??

(11:15) **Well, um. I arrange for funeral accommodations. Prepare bodies for burial. Handle paperwork.**

(11:16) hold up. back up. repeat

(11:17) **I handle paperwork.**

(11:19) thats not

(11:20) is it weird working w dead bodies?

(11:21) **Not any weirder than working with living ones once you get used to them.**

(11:22) whoa

(11:24) **I’m sorry. I know it’s strange.**

(11:25) no, not at all. i actually think it’s pretty badass

(11:28) **Oh. Well.**

(11:29) **Thank you.**

(11:30) sure i can’t get an age?

(11:33) **No. Sorry.**

(11:34) worth a shot

(11:34) have fun w those bodies, stud

(11:35) **Thank you.**

X

Tuesday- PM

**Group Chat: Tres Horny Boyssss**

(6:03) _lads_

(6:04) yes, comrade?

(6:05) **_Taako fuck off w the communism_ **

(6:06) forgive me for trying to throw off the shackles of capitalism merle

(6:06) sorry i give a SHIT abt SOCIETY

(6:07) **_You couldn’t give less of a shit about society._ **

(6:08) touche, little man

(6:08) _hey_

(6:08) _magnus was talking_

(6:09) lmao whoops

(6:10) **_What do you want_ **

(6:11) _ok so listen_

(6:11) _i know jules said no_

(6:12) no fucking dogs magnus

(6:12) **_You can’t get a dog_ **

(6:13) _no no non nonono listen_

(6:13) _i was at the shelter and there was this really really cute german shepherd named dingo and i think he really liked me_

(6:14) why r u telling us this. we r not ur fiancee

(6:15) **_Thank god._ **

(6:16) _fuck off merle you’d be lucky to have me_

(6:16) hes right

(6:17) _i’m telling you this because- hear me out_

(6:18) **_Our apartment doesn’t allow pets. We’ve been over this_ **

(6:19) _your apartment also doesn’t let you transform the sink into an aquatic plant aquarium but none of us said anything about THAT_

(6:20) god u have given me such a conundrum

(6:20) my lack of motivation to care for another living creature besides myself

(6:21) vs my crushing need to break the rules

(6:22) **_We don’t want to hear about your crushing needs, Taako_ **

(6:23) SOMEONE needs 2 listen 2 them!!!

(6:24) _why don’t you tell them to that rando you’ve been texting_

(6:25) **_You’re still texting them??_ **

(6:26) hey werent we talking abt dogs

(6:27) **_Taako this is getting weird_ **

(6:28) we have had like two conversations

(6:28) buzz off dad

(6:29) _just be careful what you tell him_

(6:30) **_Him?_ **

(6:31) look what youve done mag

(6:31) **_I just think it’s weird_ **

(6:32) youre right merle. its super weird sexting a random stranger

(6:33) bc we all know i am a sexting FIEND

(6:34) _was that even sarcasm?_

(6:35) no, i am. but im not sexting w strangers so chill tf out

(6:36) _is he hot?_

(6:37) shit. idk

(6:37) hopefully

(6:38) **_Why hopefully?_ **

(6:39) i just think itd be nice to text someone hot for once

(6:40) _lmao burn_

(6:41) **_…_ **

(6:42) _what_

(6:43) give him a minute

(7:12) _HEY_

X

Tuesday- PM

(6:38) r u hot

(7:02) **Sorry?**

(7:04) appearance-wise

(7:04) r u hot

(7:06) **I wouldn’t know.**

(7:07) sure u would! look in the mirror and tell me what u see

(7:09) **Are you trying to… sext?**

(7:11) do u want me to be ;)

(7:14) **This is rapidly developing into something far weirder than I had anticipated.**

(7:15) is texting a stranger ever not weird

(7:17) **I don’t know. I’ve never done it before.**

(7:19) u dont chit chat w a bunch of rando numbers ?

(7:22) **Not usually, no.**

(7:23) aw

(7:23) am i ur first

(7:23) ;)

(7:26) **Again, not entirely certain what you are implying there.**

(7:27) **But, yes, I suppose. To be fair, you texted me first.**

(7:28) only the first time

(7:30) **And the second and third times.**

(7:32) alright damn call a dude out

(7:32) u texted ME the fourth time

(7:33) **I did.**

(7:35) bc u like talking to me?? :)

(7:38) **No. I was bored. The mortuary was absolutely dead.**

(7:51) shit im sorry dude i had to take a fucking walk did u ACTUALLY just say that to my FACE

(7:52) **No. I texted it.**

(7:54) holy shit another WHAMMY of a joke

(7:55) u. i like u. u can stay.

(7:58) **Thank you?**

(7:59) ur welcome. not everyone gets to stay in taako-ville

(8:00) **Taako-ville?**

(8:01) thats my name, dont wear it out

(8:03) **… Your name is Taako-ville?**

(8:04) naw dawg, but that would be wicked. its just taako

(8:05) **Oh.**

(8:06) u likey?? ;)

(8:07) **Can I formally request that you stop sending me winky faces?**

(8:08) if i do, will u tell me ur name?

(8:09) **Why do you want my name?**

(8:11) so i can change ur contact to something other than ‘death boy’

(8:11) although if ur name isn’t super awesome im keeping u as death boy

(8:14) **Death boy?**

(8:15) isnt it accurate

(8:16) **I mean… I suppose?**

(8:18) sooooooooooooooo

(8:18) name?

(8:21) but also like if u dont want to share it thats fine

(8:21) taako respects boundaries

(8:22) ok taako is learning to respect boundaries

(8:28) death boy?

(8:31) **Sorry. I got caught up.**

(8:32) its chill fam

(8:32) we can forget the name thing

(8:33) **No, it’s not… sorry. This is kind of a weird situation.**

(8:34) i get u. lowkey my friends think ur trying to kill me

(8:36) **… I’m not.**

(8:38) phew if that aint a relief

(8:38) i am also not trying to kill u

(8:40) **Thank you.**

(8:41) welc

(8:42) **My name is Kravitz.**

(8:43) kravitz

(8:44) its a vibe

(8:44) i dig it

(8:46) **Thank you?**

(8:47) no offense tho im keeping ur name as death boy

(8:47) nothing personal i kind of just think its a really good joke

(8:49) **Ah. I suppose that’s only fair.**

(8:50) <3

(8:51) k, my shitty friend is about to do a flip off the couch and he’s def going to break his arm

(8:51) im gonna go watch

(8:52) **Of course. Have fun.**

(8:53) thank uuuuuu death boy

(8:53) goodnight kravitz

(8:57) **Goodnight, Taako.**

X

Wednesday- AM

(1:04) hey lup can u pick us up from the emergency room

(1:08)  **_im_ **

(1:09) **_ im sorry what the fuck _ **

(1:11) we r at the emergency room and we wanna go home but we have no $$ so like

(1:11) :)

(1:12)  **_who’s hurt?_ **

(1:13) merle has a broken arm

(1:14)  **_again???_ **

(1:15) yeah the same one and everything

(1:16)  **_great_ **

(1:16)  **_that’s really good_ **

(1:17)  **_ok barry and i will be there in like fifteen mins. tell merle he’s stupid_ **

(1:18) already did

(1:18) thank u  <3<3<3

(1:19)  **_i’m driving through mcdonalds on the way back_ **

****X

Wednesday- AM

(9:02) guess who spent the night in the emergency room

(9:06) **Are you alright??**

(9:10) lmao im fine. merle broke his arm tho

(9:12) **Is he alright?**

(9:13) aside from the broken arm yea

(9:14) im more concerned abt the fact that i didnt get my beauty rest

(9:14) not that i need beauty rest

(9:15) **Mhm.**

(9:16) im very pretty kravitz

(9:17) **I’m sure you are.**

(9:19) aw ur flirting back !!

(9:21) **Oh, is that what you were trying to do?**

(9:23) ass

(9:23) hows work?

(9:25) **Slow. You?**

(9:26) idk im hiding in the stockroom drinking an iced coffee

(9:27) **Great work ethic.**

(9:29) thx ive worked really hard on it

(9:33) hey do u think I can pull this off

(9:33) 

(9:34) **Depends. Are you a… Papa?**

(9:35) more of a daddy myself :/

(9:37) **I should have seen that coming.**

(9:38) ya im pretty disappointed in u

(9:39) **I’ll try to do better next time.**

(9:41) u’d better

(9:43) **So when you said that you sometimes… “snatch up some good clothes”...**

(9:44) u got me. i dress exclusively in unreliable screen print t-shirts

(9:46) **What’s it like being a Papa?**

(9:47) like being a daddy but w more responsibility

(9:49) **The burden of parenthood.**

(9:52) its fuckin awful my dude

(9:53) oh shit the manager is looking for me

(9:53) i gotta dump this coffee

(9:54) **Trash can?**

(9:55) i dropped it in a donation bin

(9:56) **And another one of my hopes dies.**

(9:57) i live to crush ur hopes babe

(9:57) ttyl

(9:58) **Goodbye.**

X

Friday- PM

(10:27) death boy!!!!!11q!

(10:35) death bo: (((((

(10:37) kraaviittitttzzzz

(10:38) **Hello?**

(10:39) HEY THERE U R

(10:39) hi :))

(10:40) **Hi. Are you alright?**

(10:41) oh im difn

(10:41) *fionee

(10:42) ***** f i n e

(10:43) **Right.**

(10:45) y weren’t u responding :(

(10:46) **I was trying to sleep.**

(10:47) damn sleep sleep at TEn on a FRIDAY ?? @?

(10:49) **I wake up early.**

(10:50) awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww hsit

(10:51) **It sounds as though you might also benefit from some sleep.**

(10:52) naw man the party jsut StARTED

(10:52) avi brought the keg and id k whats in it but its good good

(10:54) **You’re at a keg party?**

(10:55) helelelllsss yea

(10:57) **I’m sorry. How old are you?**

(10:59) hey its rude to ask a lady her agee

(11:00) but im 26 :) )

(11:03) **Ah. Good.**

(11:04) SUGESTIETVE

(11:04) ** SUGGESTIVE

(11:05) **No no no, I’m not**

(11:06) **I just wanted to ensure that I wasn’t texting a teenager.**

(11:07) y bc u thinnkk abt me??

(11:07) nononononoono dont answer that i like the mysttery

(11:09) **I think I might leave you to your party.**

(11:10) KRAVITZ NOOOONOOOOO

(11:11) OH HOLY SHIT CAREY S ABT TO DO A FLIP OFF THE STOVE

(11:12) OH SHIT SWEET FLIPPP@

(11:12) GTWG KRAV GN

(11:18) **Goodnight, Taako.**

X

Saturday- PM

(3:08) this isnt good

(3:17) **Good morning.**

(3:18) dont

(3:19) holy

(3:22) **That bad?**

(3:24) i feel like im nineteen again

(3:24) i haven’t had a hangover this bad in

(3:24) ive never had a hangover this bad

(3:27) **Well, you were at a keg party.**

(3:27) **Can I ask why you were at a keg party?**

(3:28) it was supposed to be a normal party but avi brought a keg

(3:30) **That’s fair.**

(3:31) there was definitely no beer in it tho

(3:32) everyone is still dead

(3:33) **Everyone?**

(3:34) merle and i hosted. everyone is just. on the floor

(3:35) fuk i just stepped on magnus

(3:35) sorry magnus

(3:39) **Maybe you should go get some water.**

(3:41) already on it my dude

(3:42) sweet fuck. the nectar of life

(3:44) **Was it fun at least?**

(3:46) hell yeah!!!

(3:47) ugh. no exclamation points. they hurt my head

(3:48) **Ha.**

(3:50) u alright?

(3:51) **I’m fine. A little tired.**

(3:52) late night?

(3:53) **Someone kept me up.**

(3:54) ugh i hate that who

(3:55) **…**

(3:56) ?

(3:59) oh

(4:00) whoops

(4:00) srry abt that dude

(4:02) **It’s alright.**

(4:03) no it was probably weird

(4:04) wait a sec i told u how old i am

(4:05) **Yes?**

(4:06) no f ai r u have to tell me urs

(4:06) i showed u mine u show me urs

(4:08) **I suppose that’s only fair.**

(4:08) **I’m 29.**

(4:11) aaawwww hell yeah

(4:11) thats a good good age

(4:13) **Based off of what standards?**

(4:16) my standards

(4:17) oh good morning barold

(4:18) **Barold?**

(4:19) brother in law

(4:20) wait wtf he doesnt have a hangover at all

(4:20) hes WHISTLING

(4:21) kravitz wtF IS THIS

(4:23) **High tolerance?**

(4:24) hardly he once fell off a stage at a music festival after one martini

(4:25) did he not drink last night

(4:25) i dont remember

(4:26) oh what if hes pregnant oh shit oh shit

(4:27) **Is that… anatomically possible?**

(4:28) idk but oh fuk im not ready to be an uncle

(4:28) ill ask him

(4:33) **And?**

(4:34) he threw a spoon at me

(4:35) turns out he wasnt here at all last night and i forgot

(4:35) whoops

(4:36) **He was one of the lucky ones, then.**

(4:37) luck had nothing to do w it he was a nerd doin his hw

(4:38) nerdy nerd

(4:38) shit he threw another spoon at my head

(4:40) **Don’t go getting a concussion.**

(4:41) dont worry i think i already have one

(4:41) ok i need to eat something i think im gonna make an omelet for me and only me

(4:42) **Naturally.**

(4:43) srry again abt last night

(4:44) **It’s truly alright.**

(4:45) k

(4:45) oh death boy?

(4:47) **Yes?**

(4:48) im glad ur not a teenager too ;))

(4:49) **…**

(4:50) **Go make your omelet, Taako.**

X

Sunday- PM

(6:20) **_Hey Taako where did you go?_ **

(6:43) **_Taako?_ **

**_[Calling- taako bell grande]_ **

(7:02) **_Taako??_ **

 X

(7:32) _taako merle said he’s looking for u_

(7:48) _taako?_

_[Calling- mongoose]_

(7:53) _shit taako_

 X

[2 Missed Calls from: plant daddyy]

[4 Missed Calls from: mango chutney]

[1 Voicemail from: lulu]

 X

Sunday- PM

(7:13) why did u become a mortician?

(7:15) **Um. Well, it’s actually my mother’s business.**

(7:16) footsteps of the family?

(7:17) **Kind of. I also enjoy it, but she was a big factor in it.**

(7:18) r u close w ur mom?

(7:19) **Yes. Both of them.**

(7:23) oh

(7:23) cool

(7:25) **Is something wrong?**

(7:37) **Taako?**

(7:39) nah

(7:40) its all gucci over here fam

(7:41) **If you’re sure.**

(7:47) :))))

(7:48) **Are you close with your parents?**

(7:54) nah

(7:55) srry my dude i really dont feel like talkin abt family rn

(7:56) **Oh.**

(7:57) **I’m sorry.**

(7:59) no its fine i just

(8:00) sorry i should probably just go to bed or something

(8:01) **Are you sure you’re alright?**

(8:02) yes

(8:03) **It’s okay if you’re not.**

(8:03) **I mean**

(8:04) **It’s also okay to not tell me, because you still don’t actually know me, so you definitely don’t have to tell me.**

(8:05) **But, in general, it’s okay to not be alright.**

(8:08) **That probably made no sense.**

(8:12) no. ur right

(8:13) ur a big fuckin nerd do u know that

(8:14) **Should I say thank you?**

(8:15) i meant it as a compliment so

(8:16) thx death boy

(8:16) i should probably actually go to bed now

(8:17) **Okay.**

(8:17) **Sleep well.**

(8:18) u 2 u nerd

X

Monday- AM

(8:41)  **_Taako._ **

(8:47) good morning to u too, dearest twin

(8:48)  **_Are you alright?_ **

(8:49) actually my hair straightener isnt working rn so im a little pissed

(8:50) can i steal urs after work

(8:51)  **_barry had it last. ask him_ **

(8:52) ofc he did

(8:53)  **_Taako, we were really worried last night._ **

(8:56) aw shit dude. isnt it too early for this

(8:57)  **_not really._ **

(9:00) loooooook im sorry okay. im fine tho u dont have to be worried

(9:01)  **_merle said you were really upset._ **

(9:02) merle eats grass

(9:03)  **_taako._ **

(9:04) like actual grass. i cannot stress how genuinely disturbed i am abt this, lup

(9:05)  **_will you at least try and talk to me?_ **

(9:07) rlly not in the mood lup-de-loop

(9:08)  **_i don’t really care._ **

(9:10) lup. drop it.

(9:11)  **_or what, you’re going to run off again?_ **

(9:14)  **_shit._ **

(9:14)  **_that was out of line. I’m sorry._ **

(9:22)  **_taako??_ **

(9:23) I’m working, Lup.

(9:24)  **_i know._ **

(9:25)  **_will u come over for dinner tonight? Just u and me. i’ll kick barry out._ **

(9:28) do i get to cook

(9:29)  **_ofc_ **

(9:33) fine

(9:34) barold can stay. tell him im making stir fry

(9:35)  **_ok_ **

(9:36)  **_i’m sorry, taako._ **

(9:41) yea. me too.

X

Monday- PM

(6:41) 

(6:43) **Looks good. At a restaurant?**

(6:44) yeah. its called cafe taako

(6:45) **Wait- you made that?**

(6:46) dont sound so surprised babe i am a dope ass chef

(6:47) **My apologies. I had no idea.**

(6:48) **That looks absolutely wonderful.**

(6:49) aw thx <3 i love when fishing for compliments pays off

(6:50) i should do it more often

(6:53) **Maybe you should.**

(6:54) holy balls im sorry are u FLIRTING

(6:55) im aodijfladkjf

(6:56) **What?**

(6:57) sorry i just swooned

(6:57) wow, i never knew strange men on the internet could make me so flustered

(6:59) **You aren’t actually flustered.**

(7:00) dont sell urself short stud

(7:01) in fact

(7:01) aw shit

(7:04) **?**

(7:06) told off 4 texting at table

(7:07) my sister and her barold are here

(7:07) i’ll ttyl

(7:08) **Have fun.**

X

Monday- PM

(6:57) **Sloane.**

(6:59) **Sloane.**

(7:02) **Sloane.**

(7:03)  ughh what we’re watching black mirror 

(7:04) **This is urgent.**

(7:05)  is it abt that guy you’ve been texting? 

(7:05) **No.**

(7:06) **Perhaps.**

(7:07)  hey have you considered asking him out -Hurley 

(7:08) **Hi Hurley.**

(7:09)  Hi Krav! -Hurley 

(7:10) **I can’t. I don’t know him.**

(7:11) ...but u keep texting him 

(7:12) **Texting is an entirely separate mode of contact from actually knowing a person.**

(7:13)  we’re texting and we know you -Hurley 

(7:14) **That’s different.**

(7:15)  what happened krav 

(7:16) **He can cook**

(7:17)  god you are so fucking gay 

(7:18) **You have a girlfriend, Sloane.**

(7:19)  hell yeah she does -Hurley 

(7:20)  i mean you’re USELESSLY gay, krav. 

(7:21) **Am not.**

(7:22)  what happened next 

(7:23) **He**

(7:23) **Accused me**

(7:24) **Of flirting?**

(7:25)  were you?? 

(7:26) **No.**

(7:26) **Maybe?**

(7:27) **I don’t know. It’s been so long, and- I don’t even know him.**

(7:28)  slow down krav 

(7:29)  this doesn’t have to be super serious 

(7:30)  it can just be fun 

(7:31) **I know.**

(7:32) **I’ve never done just fun before.**

(7:33)  i know, krav 

(7:34)  have you talked to him about this? -Hurley 

(7:35) **No. I feel weird. This is probably nothing to him.**

(7:36) i mean, he’s accusing u of flirting?? That doesn’t feel like nothing 

(7:37) **I don’t know. He’s a little… strange.**

(7:38)  strange how? 

(7:39) **It’s hard to explain. I don’t even know.**

(7:40)  that’s okay 

(7:41)  just try to have fun! There’s no pressure on this 

(7:42) **I guess.**

(7:43)  that’s the spirit 

(7:44)  go get him, champ! -Hurley 

(7:45)  hey do you want to come to roller derby this weekend 

(7:46) **I might be busy, but I’ll check.**

(7:47)  please!! The team misses you 

(7:48)  u can bring ur boy ;) -Hurley 

(7:49) **That’s my cue to leave. Have a nice night.**

(7:50)  u too krav 

(7:50)  love u krav!! -Hurley 

X

Tuesday- AM

(8:46) **Good morning.**

(8:52) wow, have we graduated to good morning texts??

(8:53) this is all moving so quickly

(8:56) **I’m sorry.**

(8:57) no no take backs, u said it

(8:58) gm stud

(8:58) headed to work?

(9:03) **I’ve already been here for awhile, actually.**

(9:04) so early??

(9:06) **I open for my mother. She likes to sleep in.**

(9:07) momma’s boi

(9:08) **Is that a bad thing?**

(9:09) not at all i think its very cute

(9:10) any cool bodies today?

(9:13) **Taako, that’s an inappropriate question.**

(9:14) :/

(9:15) **Just an accountant. Heart disease.**

(9:17) boooooooring

(9:18) **I’m sorry the mortuary isn’t amusing.**

(9:21) ur forgiven i guess

(9:22) hey

(9:24) 

(9:24) do u want this

(9:26) **I’m afraid to ask this, but do I seem like someone who would wear that shirt?**

(9:27) absolutely not

(9:27) you’d crop it first

(9:28) **Wow. You do know me.**

(9:31) what can i say, im a people person

(9:34) **How did dinner with your sister go last night?**

(9:35) u remembered

(9:35) eh it was the usual

(9:36) i made a fantastic dinner and barold dumped it all over his shirt

(9:37) **On accident?**

(9:38) idk at this point

(9:41) **He sounds interesting.**

(9:43) hes alright

(9:44) not as interesting as the strange mortician ive been texting tho

(9:45) **I hardly think I’m interesting.**

(9:46) what have i said abt selling urself short

(9:49) **… Not to do it?**

(9:51) ur catching on

(9:52) **My mother just got here. I should go and help her.**

(9:52) **Have a nice day.**

(9:53) lmao

(9:53) u too death boy


	2. Chapter 2

Texting Styles:

Taako

**Kravitz**

_Magnus_

**_Merle_ **

**_Lup_ **

Sloane 

 

Thursday- AM

**Group Chat: Tres Horny Boyssss**

(7:38) so i havent left my room yet

(7:39) does someone wanna tell me if i

(7:39) should

(7:42) _taako’s awake!!! yayyy :) :D <3 _

(7:43) nope, too much. merle, what did he do

(7:45) **_I think you should maybe come out and look._ **

(7:46) no u see thats what im not gonna do

(7:47) bc i woke up and i could hear magnus

(7:48) and i could hear a lot of other stuff that id better not be hearing

(7:50) _hes tiny_

(7:51) WHAT THE FUCK IS IN OUR APARTMENT MAGNUS.

(7:55) IM NOT COMING OUT

(7:57) MERLE

(7:58) **_You have to come out eventually taako._ **

(8:00) heres an idea

(8:01) actually fuck this

X

Thursday- AM

(8:02) yo are u awake

(8:04) **I am.**

(8:04) **Is something wrong?**

(8:05) yea. somethings in my fucking apartment

(8:06) **Something as in a home intruder, or…?**

(8:07) only if u count magnus as an intruder, which i think i might

(8:08) he and merle are in the living room and there is… something w them

(8:09) **That is incredibly ominous.**

(8:10) YEAH I FUCKING KNOW

(8:11) **Shouldn’t you go look?**

(8:12) what if its alive

(8:13) **What could it possibly be?**

(8:14) idk, anything knowing magnus

(8:14) a tiger

(8:15) feral rat maybe

(8:15) merle in a tutu

(8:16) all bad options

(8:17) **Don’t you have to go to work soon?**

(8:18) yea and im fucking starving

(8:19) ok im going out stay on the line

(8:20) **Godspeed.**

(8:22) ok im easing the door open

(8:23) peeking out

(8:24) god magnus is loud

(8:25) **Do you see anything else?**

(8:26) no. merle left a bunch of his plant shit on the ground again tho yuck

(8:26) and

(8:27) no.

(8:29) **What is it?**

(8:31) its too early to deal with this

(8:31) im ignoring it and getting breakfast

(8:32) **???**

(8:34) it seems that at some point in the middle of the night magnus found a cat. and decided to bring it to our apartment bc his fiancee is allergic

(8:36) **That’s it?**

(8:37) WHAT DO YOU FUCKING MEAN THAT’S IT

(8:38) god it looks gross

(8:39) its all orange and scabby and its got a weird smile

(8:40) **Don’t be rude.**

(8:42) oh my god are u a cat person

(8:43) **Not necessarily.**

(8:44) u have a cat dont u

(8:45) **Her name is Astra.**

(8:46) nope way too early for this

(8:46) im grabbing a banana and a coffee and leaving

(8:48) **Do you really dislike cats?**

(8:49) naw man. i actually really dig them. never seen the point of having one myself but i can respect an animal that knows what it wants and needs constant affection/alone time

(8:51) i have a problem with the dumbass who breaks into my apartment sometimes dumping a cat on my doorstep like a fucking orphan out of a book

(8:53) **Did you just describe your friend as a “dumbass who breaks into your apartment sometimes”?**

(8:54) isnt that the same thing

(8:55) **You’re charming, Taako.**

(8:56) aw thanks babe

(8:58) ok im out

(8:59) **What are you going to do about the cat?**

(9:00) merle was cooing at it. i think the battle is lost already

(9:02) **So you just… have a cat now?**

(9:03) idk dude

(9:03) idk

(9:05) **Would it help if I told you they’re actually quite lovely?**

(9:06) yeah, actually. u know what while we’re at it do u have some kind of cat mom support group i could join?

(9:12) kravitz

(9:13) u dont

(9:14) **I know a few people.**

(9:15) nope, too early for this. Goodbye

X

Thursday- PM

(1:03) _we’re naming him garfield!!!!!!!_

(1:07) the lack of creativity is the most infuriating part.

X

Friday- PM

(4:42) **Shall I anticipate more keg party antics tonight?**

(4:46) not tonight my dude

(4:47) tonight is family night

(4:48) **Really?**

(4:50) u sound surprised

(4:51) **You’ve, uh. Never seemed eager to talk about your family before.**

(4:53) no, this is good family

(4:53) my sister and barold, obvs

(4:54) magnus and his chick, jules

(4:55) and i guess merle can come too

(4:57) **You are so kind to Merle.**

(4:58) im the best thing that ever happened to merle

(4:59) **Considering our first interaction was you planning his murder, I have my doubts about that.**

(5:01) i once caught merle dirty talking a succulent and i never told a soul abt it

(5:03) **You just told me.**

(5:04) did i? whoops

(5:05) what r u doing tonight then?

(5:06) **Kind of a family night as well, I suppose. I’m taking my mothers out for dinner.**

(5:08) momma’s boy!!!

(5:09) **Yes.**

(5:11) cute

(5:12) this is cool mom that owns a graveyard right

(5:13) **Funeral home.**

(5:14) ya that

(5:15) **Yes, my mother inherited the business from her father.**

(5:16) oof, strong lineage

(5:16) what abt the other one?

(5:18) **She’s a clothing designer. She has an online shop that does quite well.**

(5:20) holy shit r u kidding thats SO cool

(5:21) wow. kinda blows my shitty thrift shop out of the water

(5:24) **Don’t say that. It took her years to establish herself.**

(5:25) **How long have you worked there?**

(5:26) abt a year now i think? wow thats a while

(5:27) **What did you do before?**

(5:29) oh, a bit of this, a bit of that. music. modeling. turned down a very promising career as an adult film actor

(5:32) **I… can’t tell if you’re kidding.**

(5:34) i never kid, darling

(5:35) what abt u? mortician ur whole life?

(5:36) **Just about. Never much wanted to do anything else.**

(5:37) really?

(5:38) not even a little?

(5:40) **Well…**

(5:41) omg gasp! do i smell a tragic backstory???

(5:43) **Not tragic at all.**

(5:44) **I actually have to go pick up my mothers now.**

(5:45) oh come on we JUST got 2 the good part

(5:46) **I’ll cash in on that question later. I promise.**

(5:47) ugh u’d better

(5:47) have fun with ur super accomplished moms or whatever

(5:48) **Thank you, Taako. Have fun at family night.**

X

Saturday- AM

(8:51) _Y O KRAV R U ALMOST HERE _

(8:52) **I’m five minutes away, Sloane.**

(8:53)  Hell yeah this is gonna be awesome -Hurley 

(8:54)  did you bring your skates 

(8:55) **I did, but don’t anticipate that I’ll spend much time on the rink.**

(8:56)  fuck off yes you will!! we really want to skate with you again 

(8:57)  We miss your reffing -Hurley 

(8:59) **I’m sorry I’ve been so busy.**

(9:00)  it’s fine. You can make it up to us by getting your ass in here I see you in the entrance 

(9:01) **I can wait out here.**

(9:02)  Shut up and come to the locker room -Hurley 

(9:03) **Ha. Alright.**

X

Saturday- AM

(10:12) garfield fucking PEED on my favorite SKIRT

(10:13) **Do you have a litterbox for him?**

(10:15) we dumped some dirt out of one of merle’s plant pots

(10:16) **Get a litterbox, Taako.**

(10:18) fine. i’ll go to the pet store today

(10:19) i’m only doing this bc magnus started crying when i told him it had to go

(10:23) **You’re a good friend.**

(10:25) gross. never say that to my face again

(10:26) what r u doing?

(10:29) **I’m actually at roller derby right now.**

(10:30) ok wait hold on. a lot to unpack there

(10:31) u go to roller derby??

(10:33) **Sometimes. I used to go a lot. I haven’t had the time recently.**

(10:34) **My friends play.**

(10:35) **I actually used to ref.**

(10:41) ok im

(10:41) im working this into my mental picture

(10:42) **Mental picture?**

(10:43) of u, shut up

(10:44) when u say ref, are we talking spandex??? booty shorts??

(10:46) **Yes to spandex.**

(10:47) **Booty shorts… depended on the day.**

(10:49) wowowowowowowow

(10:50) ok death boy ok

(10:52) idk what to say. u have actually rendered me speechless

(10:53) **Truly a momentous occasion.**

(10:54) dont get used to it, stud

(10:55) how’s it going on that end?

(10:58) **Pretty good. Actually, I**

(10:58) **Shit**

(11:01) ?

(11:05) **Sorry Sloane went down but she’s back up.**

(11:06) one of ur friends?

(11:07) **One of my best.**

(11:08) she must be, if she can get you to swear

(11:10) **What?**

(11:10) **Oh dear.**

(11:11) **I’m sorry about that.**

(11:13) nononono dont be. i LOVE it

(11:14) **Ha. Okay.**

(11:15) how about i leave u to ur spectating. text me if anyone dies

(11:16) **I will.**

(11:17) **Oh, Taako?**

(11:18) hmmm?

(11:19) **What kind of skirt?**

(11:20) ...mini. purple

(11:21) **Okay.**

(11:22) why

(11:23) **Just building my mental picture.**

(11:25) u

(11:28) holy fuuuuuuck kravitz

(11:28) goodBYE

X

Sunday- PM

(6:03)  were u texting ur boy during roller derby 

(6:12) **Good job today, Sloane.**

(6:13)  thats what we thought -Hurley 

(6:15) **You too, Hurley.**

X

Sunday- PM

(7:48) _how’s my baby boy!!!!_

(7:51) im a little sleepy but i just got a manicure so im doing pretty good. thanks for asking maggy-poo

(7:53) _i meant garfield_

(7:54) rude

(7:55) idk

(7:56) _taako!!!_

(7:59) ugghhhhh hes fine magnus

(8:01) he doesnt leave the living room

(8:01) i caught him trying to hump one of merles plants

(8:03) _aw, just like his papa._

(8:04) do i have to repeat again how much i hate this

(8:05) _he doesnt have a collar taako. and he was so skinny and scared. we have to take care of him_

(8:09) WE dont have to do anything

(8:10) where r u anyways i thought u would b here looking after ur baby boy

(8:13) _date night with jules!!!! <3 _

(8:14) r u texting me on your date

(8:15) _i wanted to check on garfield_

(8:16) hes still alive. go back to ur date stupid

(8:16) tell jules hi from me

(8:17) _she says hi back!!!_

(8:18) _bye taako! bye garfield!_

(8:20) we’re both hissing.

X

Monday- AM

(1:25) **Are you awake?**

(1:29) hngkjfl

(1:30) i am now

(1:31) **Oh. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.**

(1:33) no its fine bubbeleh im used to it

(1:34) lemme just

(1:36) ok im awake whats up

(1:37) **It’s not important.**

(1:38) its one in the morning krav

(1:39) u should b asleep but u r texting me

(1:39) i mean understandable but

(1:40) whats up

(1:41) **I was just… thinking.**

(1:42) uh oh

(1:43) **No, nothing bad. Just**

(1:43) **You said that thing about building a mental picture. When I was at roller derby.**

(1:44) mhmm

(1:45) **I realized I have no idea what you sound like.**

(1:47) sound like? not look like?

(1:48) **No, no, it’s not about that. I just… it’s silly. I thought this might be easier if I had a voice to go with the texts.**

(1:59) easier?

(2:00) **Texting a stranger.**

(2:01) u still think of me as a stranger?

(2:01) alright hang tight bubs

[Calling- death boy]

**“...Hello?”**

“Hiya, stud. Is this better?”

**“Oh. Um… I’m sorry, I didn’t expect you to…”**

“Have such a smooth voice? I get that a lot, surprisingly.”

**“Ha.”**

“So…”

**“I’m sorry that I woke you.”**

“Please. If I’m not woken up in the middle of the night for some dumb crisis, it’s an off night.”

**“That’s fair.”**

“Yeah. I- oh, christ, that dumb cat is trying to get into my room.”

**“Taako, did you just… did you just kick your door?”**

“It needs to learn boundaries.”

**“Taako.”**

“What? We can’t all be cat mothers, Kravitz. How’s Astra?”

**“She’s fine. Sleeping on my lap.”**

“God, that’s adorable. I’d pay to see that.”

**“Ha.”**

“Why are you up so late, anyways? You couldn’t just have been thinking about my sexy, sexy voice.”

**“No. I… it’s just a weird night.”**

“I get that. Everything okay?”

**“Yeah.”**

“Hmmmokay. If it’s not, you’d let me know, right? So I can comfort you.”

**“You don’t seem like the comforting type.”**

“Yeah, I’m not. But there are more ways to comfort than just with words.”

**“...”**

“Are you blushing?”

**“No. Jesus, Taako.”**

“Alright, alright. I’m just kidding. I like messing with you.”

**“Oh.”**

“Sure you’re okay?”

**“Yeah. I should probably let you get back to bed.”**

“Yeah, if I don’t stop talking Merle is gonna come and kick my ass. Not that he could, mind, but he’s so tiny I feel bad for fighting him.”

**“He’s probably busy chatting up a cactus.”**

“Ha! Oh, lord, Krav. I’ve trained you well.”

**“Hm.”**

“What?”

**“Oh- nothing. Sorry, it’s just- you have a really nice laugh.”**

“I have a- oh. Ha. Hmmm, thanks, babe.”

**“Are you blushing?”**

“I never blush. I’m not capable of it. And I am going to go to bed now before you decide that two in the morning is the time to be a smartass.”

**“Alright. Goodnight, Taako.”**

“Goodnight, death boy.”

**“Taako?”**

“Hm?”

**“Thank you.”**

“Ha. Anytime, bubbeleh.”

[Call Ended]

X

Monday- AM

(2:07) **_Taako I s2g if you don’t shut up_ **

(2:09) **_STOP FLIRTING AND GO TO BED._ **

(2:14) fuk off merle

(2:15) **_Why, are you blushing?_ **

(2:17) **_Holy shit okay fine i’ll shut up get the cat out of my room_ **

(2:19) **_Taako its eating my spider plant_ **

(2:23) **_TAAKOOOO_ **

X

Tuesday- AM

(10:23) i could quit my job

(10:28) **You could.**

(10:28) **Why today?**

(10:29) screaming girls. god, the lungs on these things

(10:32) **I think you sometimes forget you work in customer service.**

(10:33) i’d like to

(10:34) how r the dead people

(10:37) **Very lively.**

(10:38) im rolling on the floor with laughter

(10:40) **Something tells me that’s not true.**

(10:41) what gave me away?

(10:42) **Just a hunch.**

(10:45) no one will bring me coffee

(10:45) everyone i know is dead to me

(10:46) **I’m assuming they’re at work…?**

(10:47) yes but im far more important

(10:48) barold isnt even doing anything today hes just poking mushrooms

(10:50) **Do I want to know what that means?**

(10:51) hes a researcher/teaching assistant at the local university. currently studying decaying matter and blah blah blah idk i dont listen

(10:53) **That’s very interesting.**

(10:54) no its not, but if u tell him that he’ll cry

(10:55) **Have he and your sister been together long?**

(10:56) oh, yeah. if i hadn’t been there i wouldve said they grew up in the womb together

(10:57) **What?**

(10:58) twinsies, hermoso

(10:59) **You and your sister are twins?**

(11:01) identical

(11:02) **Wow. Are you close?**

(11:04) lmao yeah the closest

(11:05) we had to be growing up

(11:05) do u have any siblings?

(11:06) **No. Just me and my mothers.**

(11:07) they sound nice tho

(11:08) **They are.**

(11:10) thats good. im glad

(11:10) am i allowed to tell customers that the dress they’re trying on makes them look frumpy

(11:11) **Depends. Is it a twelve year old girl?**

(11:12) maybe

(11:13) **Then no.**

(11:14) damn

(11:14) what do u do besides roller derby and dead people’s paperwork?

(11:16) **Oh, um. Not much.**

(11:17) interesting guy like u? i find that hard to believe

(11:19) **I’ve told you that I’m not interesting.**

(11:20) **I enjoy music.**

(11:21) playing or listening?

(11:23) **Both.**

(11:24) !! what do u play?

(11:25) **A bit of everything. Guitar, mostly.**

(11:27) woweee

(11:28) so like when r u playing for me

(11:30) **That sounded like a challenge.**

(11:31) it could b

(11:34) **Maybe someday, Taako.**

(11:35) boring

(11:36) oh shit one of the girls knocked a rack over

(11:36) shes crying

(11:37) should i

(11:37) **Yes.**

(11:38) ughhhhhh fine bye krav

(11:39) **Goodbye.**

X

Thursday- PM

(11:25) _hi is this kravitz_

(11:31) **Um… yes?**

(11:32) **Who is this?**

(11:34) _this is magnus_

(11:34) _taako’s friend?_

(11:35) **Oh. Yes, he’s told me about you.**

(11:39) **Do you… need something?**

(11:42) _yeah sorry_

(11:43) _has taako texted u recently_

(11:44) **We texted this morning. Why?**

(11:45) _okay_

(11:45) _okay he’s kind of gone and not answering his texts so i thought maybe he was talking to you ?_

(11:46) **I’ll text him right now.**

(11:47) _okay_

(11:51) **He responded.**

(11:52) _shit are u serious_

(11:53) _uh_

(11:53) _can u just make sure he’s safe_

(11:56) **He’s safe.**

(11:57) _okay good_

(11:58) _that’s good_

(11:59) _um… thanks._

(12:00) **Of course. Do you want me to tell him anything?**

(12:01) _no if he knows i sent u it’ll spook him off. Just uh_

(12:02) _idk man. make sure he’s okay_

(12:02) _please._

(12:04) **I will. Thank you for contacting me.**

(12:05) **How did you contact me?**

(12:06) _oh i stole your number from taako awhile ago. i was gonna pull a cool prank on you but i guess that idea’s dead now_

(12:08) **I guess.**

X

Thursday- PM

(11:47) **Are you awake?**

(11:50) yea

(11:51) **What are you up to?**

(11:54) nothing

(11:54) why

(11:55) **Just… are you safe?**

(11:56) am i

(11:56) ?

(11:56) yeah im safe

(11:57) why

(11:58) **Just checking.**

(11:59) was it magnus or merle

(12:00) **What?**

(12:01) who tf stole ur number

(12:01) im gonna kill them

(12:02) **I think they’re worried about you.**

(12:03) yeah no shit. doesnt give them the right to invade my privacy

(12:04) **I’m a little worried about you as well.**

(12:04) why

(12:05) **Because I want you to be safe?**

(12:09) why

(12:10) **Taako.**

**[Calling- Taako]**

“What.”

**“What’s going on?”**

“Nothing’s going on. Just- go to fucking bed, Kravitz.”

**“Can I help?”**

“Yeah, you can help by fucking off.”

**“...I’m sorry. I only wanted to-”**

“Stop.”

**“...”**

“...”

**“I’m sorry.”**

“Shit, Krav, don’t apologize. You’re- you don’t have to deal with me. You don’t even know me.”

**“I mean. I guess.”**

“...Why are you dealing with me?”

**“I thought- I thought we were- I don’t know.”**

“You don’t even know what I look like.”

**“I don’t care what you look like.”**

“Right.”

**“Are you outside? I hear cars.”**

“Yeah. I’m kind of… wandering.”

**“Okay. Do you want me to hang up?”**

“...no.”

**“Okay. What do you want me to do?”**

“I don’t know. Talk. Where’s Astra?”

**“She’s… oh, there she is. She’s on the windowsill. She sleeps there sometimes.”**

“How long have you had her?”

**“Four years.”**

“What does she look like?”

**“Long-haired. White. Green eyes. I think she’s pretty.”**

“Garfield looks like a buttcheek.”

**“You’re not very nice to him.”**

“I’m not very nice to anyone. I dunno why you’re still talking to me, to be honest.”

**“Well, you’re… I like talking to you.”**

“Have you experienced head trauma recently?”

**“Actually, yes. Right around the time you texted me.”**

“Ha. Smartass.”

**“Seriously though, Taako. I enjoy talking to you. You… make me laugh.”**

“God, you’re fucking cheesy.”

**“Yes, I am.”**

“You- hang on, another call, let me… okay. Back.”

**“Who was it?”**

“My sister.”

**“Shouldn’t you talk to her?”**

“I need a break.”

**“Okay. That’s fair.”**

“It’s not, but I appreciate the reassurance.”

**“Do you want to talk about it? You don’t have to, obviously, but like, if you want to, I’m like, here, and-”**

“You’re rambling, Krav.”

**“Sorry.”**

“Look, you’re- you’re really nice, you know that? Like, probably one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. And I’ve met Julia.”

**“Thank you, I guess.”**

“You definitely don’t have to, like… be my therapist, though.”

**“I know I don’t. But it helps to talk sometimes.”**

“Does it?”

**“I think so.”**

“I think that’s kind of bullshit, but… fine. What do I talk about?”

**“Why are you wandering outside at midnight?”**

“It’s a lovely night.”

**“Why aren’t you responding to your friends or your sister?”**

“They’re assholes.”

**“Taako.”**

“Fine. I’m- shit, I’m not good at talking.”

**“That’s okay.”**

“No, it’s not. I just- something stupid happened tonight and it set me off and all of them are so damn worried about me all the time and I’m sick of it. I need a break, I need-”

**“Space?”**

“Yeah. Yeah, space.”

**“You’re allowed to have space. But you should let them know you’re safe, at least.”**

“And they should know I can take care of myself.”

**“I’m sure you can.”**

“Damn right I can. Hey, Krav?”

**“What?”**

“What am I to you?”

**“I… what do you mean?”**

“I mean, I’m just a stranger who texted you on accident. But it’s been- what, a month?”

**“Just about.”**

“A month. And you’re still here.”

**“I’m still here.”**

“Yeah. So, like… what do you want?”

**“What do I…?”**

“What’s the endgame. You know, what do you- want.”

**“I don’t want anything. I- I don’t know. I’ve enjoyed talking to you, and I thought you enjoyed talking to me.”**

“...I do.”

**“Okay. Then, why don’t we… why don’t we not worry about the endgame?”**

“I don’t understand you, Kravitz.”

**“Well-”**

“I think that’s a good thing.”

**“...Oh.”**

“Yeah. I’m heading back home.”

**“Really?”**

“Yeah. I guess your talking bullshit kind of worked or whatever. I at least want to go back to bed now. Taako is exhausted.”

**“I’m sure Taako is.”**

“Don’t laugh at me, you fucker.”

**“I would never.”**

“Mhm. Okay, go- go pet your dumb cat or something.”

**“I’ll tell her hello from you.”**

“Whatever floats your boat, man. Krav?”

**“Yes?”**

“Uh… thanks. For, um…”

**“You’re welcome, Taako.”**

“Hmph. Go to bed.”

**“Alright. Text me when you get back safe?”**

“Sap.”

[Call Ended]

X

Friday- AM

(12:42) back.

(12:43) **Goodnight, Taako.**

X

Friday- AM

(12:44) _he’s back_

(12:45) _idk what you said but thank you_

(12:46) **I didn’t do anything.**

(12:47) _yeah right. you’re an alright dude_

X

Friday- AM

(12:49) you’re gonna wanna talk about this again aren’t u

(12:55) lup

(1:03)  **no.**

(1:04)  **just**

(1:07)  **go to bed, taako.**

(1:14) ...okay.

X

Friday- AM

(10:32) 

(10:32) found ur shirt

(10:39) **Thanks, I’ve been looking for that.**

(10:40) no worries i’ll save it for u

(10:41) **So you went to work?**

(10:44) yeah. nothing will stop me from getting that phat paycheck

(10:45) **Plus it’s Friday and you get off early?**

(10:47) hell yeah my dude

(10:48) hey uh

(10:49) thx again i guess

(10:50) 4 last nite

(10:51) **It truly was no problem.**

(10:52) dont worry i already killed magnus

(10:53) **He was just worried about you.**

(10:54) still stole ur number from me

(10:55) **I guess. Change your password?**

(10:57) i already have it on a rotating schedule. i’ll have to change the whole system now

(10:58) **Tragedy.**

(11:01) yup. talk to u later?

(11:02) **Of course.**

X

Friday- PM

(2:38) _this is the police_

(2:39) _is your refrigerator running?_

(2:52) **...Magnus, I already know it’s you.**

(2:56) _wasted potential_

(2:58) _bye kravitz!!!_

(3:01) **Goodbye, Magnus.**

X

Friday- PM

(3:23) **_Is your refrigerator running_ **

(3:24) **Is this Merle?**

(3:25) **_Damn_ **

(3:27) **How’s your arm?**

(3:28) **_Fine. Bye_ **

(3:29) **Goodbye.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for all the kind comments!! I appreciate them and hope you enjoy <3


	3. Chapter 3

Texting Styles:

Taako

**Kravitz**

_ Magnus _

**_Merle_ **

**_Lup_ **

Sloane

Sunday- PM 

(2:48)  Hey thanks for the anniversary tip 

(2:52)  **Did Hurley enjoy it?**

(2:54)  Hell yeah. We made sushi

(2:55)  **I’m glad. You should thank Taako for that, though. It was his idea.**

(2:57)  Thanks Taako, then

(2:58)  How is that btw?

(3:02)  **What do you mean?**

(3:03)  Well it’s been… awhile, right? Since you started talking?

(3:05)  **A few weeks.**

(3:06)  So are u gonna like

(3:06)  meet him??

(3:11)  **I don’t know.**

(3:12)  Do you want to?

(3:14)  **I don’t know.**

(3:15)  :/

(3:17)  **Alright. I do.**

(3:19)  Have you asked him about it??

(3:20)  **No.**

(3:22)  uuuughhh krav why

(3:25)  **Isn’t it weird?**

(3:26)  To want to meet the guy you’ve been texting all day every day for over a month? I think that’s a pretty reasonable want

(3:27)  **I wouldn’t know how to ask.**

(3:29)  “Hi, babe. Want to meet up so we can make out in person?”

(3:31)  **Sloane.**

(3:32)  am i wrong

(3:33)  **Yes. It’s not like that.**

(3:35)  Are you seriously going to try and tell me that you two haven’t been flirting? 

(3:37)  **I told you. He’s strange.**

(3:38)  That still isn’t an excuse

(3:40)  **We don’t even know each other.**

(3:42)  bullshit

(3:46)  I just think you should say something

(3:47)  You’re obviously at least crushing

(3:51)  **I need to get going. Talk to you later.**

(3:52)  Wait! Did you want to come to that party next weekend?

(3:54)  **I don’t think I can make it, but have fun.**

(3:55)  Alright

(3:56)  Talk to you soon, Krav

(3:57)  **Mhm.**

X

Monday- PM

(5:32) hi

(5:33) um

(5:33) quick question

(5:35)  **What is it?**

(5:36) u kno about cats right

(5:38)  **Yes?**

(5:39) do they sometimes go like

(5:39) invisible

(5:42)  **Invisible? Um. No?**

(5:45) fuckin shit

(5:46)  **Why?**

(5:47) no reason

(5:49)  **Where’s Garfield?**

(5:52) thats a great question

(5:53) im not the one who should answer that tho

[plant daddyy Has Been Added to the Conversation]

(5:54) yo MERLE

(5:56)  **_Tf is this_ **

(5:57) say hi to kravitz

(5:58)  **_Hi Kravitz_ **

(5:59)  **Hello, Merle.**

(6:00) merle do u wanna tell krav what u did

(6:01)  **_? I didnt do shit_ **

(6:02) fuck off u lost maggie’s baby

(6:03)  **_I DIDNT DO SHIT_ **

(6:04) THEN WHERE TF IS THE DEVIL CAT

[plant daddyy Has Left the Conversation]

[plant daddyy Has Been Added to the Conversation]

(6:06) oh no u dont

(6:06) face ur consequences

(6:07)  **_Kravitz can you tell taako to fuck off_ **

(6:08)  **I’m sorry. Why me?**

(6:09)  **_He listens to you_ **

(6:10)  **_because he lisadjfjd_ **

(6:12)  **...Merle?**

(6:13) merle has been temporarily deposed

(6:14)  **_HE THREW MY PHONE IN THE SINK_ **

(6:15) u have an otterbox its fine

(6:16)  **I hate to interrupt, but is your cat alright?**

(6:17)  **_He’s fine, he’ll come back_ **

(6:18)  **Come back?**

(6:19) merle tell krav what u did 

(6:20)  **_Okay listen my Chinese Evergreens weren’t getting enough sunlight so I left the window open for a few hours_ **

(6:21) which isnt how sunlight works but go on

(6:22)  **_Idk what happened!!_ **

(6:23) the window goes out to the fire escape

(6:24) which goes down to the ground

(6:25)  **_So_ **

(6:26) cats can fucking CLIMB DOWN STAIRS U DUMB BITCH

[plant daddyy Has Left the Conversation]

[plant daddyy Has Been Added to the Conversation]

(6:28)  **So, Garfield got out.**

(6:29) well he’s not fucking here

(6:30)  **_We don’t know that he could be hiding_ **

(6:31) hiding WHERE all we have is ONE COUCH

(6:32)  **Have you told Magnus?**

(6:33) this isnt my fault. merle has to tell him

(6:34)  **_Like hell I do_ **

[mango chutney Has Been Added to the Conversation]

(6:36)  **Taako.**

(6:37)  _ Hey is that Kravitz _

(6:37)  _ Hi Kravitz!!!! :)  _

(6:38)  **Hello, Magnus.**

(6:39)  _ what’s up fam?? _

(6:40) merle has to tell u something

[plant daddyy Has Left the Conversation]

[plant daddyy Has Been Added to the Conversation]

(6:42)  _ what’s going on _

(6:43)  **_Nothing_ **

(6:44) merle opened the windajfodijaldfkdal

(6:45)  **Oh, dear.**

(6:47) THE FUCKING DWARF KICKED ME IN THE SHIN

(6:48)  **_DO IT TAAKO_ **

(6:48) FINE

[mango chutney Has Been Removed from the Conversation]

(6:49)  **_we’ll find the dumb cat_ **

(6:50) ““we””

(6:51)  **I recommend shaking a tupperware full of treats. Stay local, if he got out and is scared he’s probably hiding close by.**

(6:52) krav that sounds like so much work

(6:53)  **_Do you want to break magnus’s heart_ **

(6:53) i mean

(6:54) ugh i guess that cat was the only thing he had going for him

(6:54) fine lets go out and look

(6:55)  **_Hey kravitz I’ve been meaning to send you this video of a very drunk taako singing wrecking ball at karaoke and crying do you want it_ **

[plant daddyy Has Been Removed from the Conversation]

(6:56) you can go ahead and block him 

(6:57)  **Does this mean I don’t get the video?**

(6:58) in ur dreams bubbeleh

(6:59)  **Ha. Good luck with the search.**

(6:59) bleh thx babe

X

Monday- PM

**Group Chat: Tres Horny Boyssss**

(6:50)  _ what did I do :( _

X

Tuesday- AM

(9:38)  **Did you find Garfield?**

(9:42) no

(9:42) and we were out until like. one in the morning

(9:43) im fucking exhausted

(9:44)  **I’m sorry.**

(9:45) its whatevs

(9:46) we’re gonna have to break it to magnus tho

(9:47)  **Will he be really upset?**

(9:47) oh yeah

(9:48)  **He found Garfield outside. Maybe he doesn’t like being in one place too long.**

(9:49) that’ll be little comfort to mags but i’ll try and tell him that

(9:50) he’ll be fine we’ll just get him drunk

(9:52)  **I wouldn’t say that’s the best coping mechanism.**

(9:54) but it works

(9:55)  **I mean… I guess.**

(9:57) ive gotta go. ttyl stud

(9:58)  **Have a nice day.**

X

Tuesday- PM 

(2:06)  **who’s kravitz**

(2:13) 

(2:13) im buying this for barold just fyi

(2:15)  **great**

(2:16)  **who’s kravitz**

(2:19) idk

(2:20)  **then why was merle complaining about you making him third wheel**

(2:23) merle’s the third wheel when he’s by himself

(2:24)  **ok lmao good burn**

(2:25)  **kokooooo do u have tea u arent spilling**

(2:28) no

(2:29) he’s just a dude

(2:31)  **a dude?**

(2:31)  **or a ~dude~~**

(2:34) dude

(2:36)  **merle seems to think he’s a ~~dude~~~**

(2:37) slander

(2:39)  **you’d tell me if u were seeing someone right**

(2:41) ok 1. yes which is why i haven’t told u

(2:41) bc im not seeing anyone

(2:42) 2. i do not want to be seeing anyone

(2:43)  **that’s totally valid**

(2:44)  **you know you can take all the time you need right?**

(2:48) ugh pls stop going all therapist on me at random times

(2:49) its rlly killing my vibe

(2:51)  **im sorry that i CARE abt my BABY BROTHER**

(2:53) fuk u we r twins

(2:54)  **im still older**

(2:55) no ur not

(2:56)  **am too**

(2:57) r not

[Calling: koko]

**“Am too.”**

“Are fucking not.”

[Call Ended]

(3:00) ive got WORK bye

(3:01)  **ok bye**

(3:01)  **im older tho**

(3:02) r NOT

X

Wednesday- AM

(2:38) lets play a game

(2:42)  **What?**

(2:44) oh shit i didnt think youd be up

(2:45) y r u up

(2:46)  **Working.**

(2:47) its 2 am???

(2:49)  **I have a lot of paperwork that I need to get through.**

(2:51) shit dude u need a vacation

(2:52)  **Maybe one day.**

(2:54) do u wanna take a break and play a game

(2:55)  **I would ask what game but I’m a little worried about the answer.**

[Calling: death boy]

“Two truths and a lie.” 

**“Really?”**

“You got a problem with two truths and a lie?”

**“No, I just didn’t know that we were middle schoolers.”**

“Fuckin’ smartass. It’s either this or truth or dare. Pick your poison.”

**“I don’t like the idea of you making up dares, so I’ll pick two truths.”**

“Smart boy.”

**“How do we play?”**

“Kravvv don’t tell me you haven’t played this before.”

**“What part of middle school don’t-”**

“You list three facts about yourself. Two are true, one’s a lie, I have to guess which. Okay go.”

**“I- you go first.”**

“Fine, but only because I’ve already been thinking about mine. Um… okay. I have ten piercings. I once smashed a bottle of wine over Magnus’s head. I am no longer legally allowed on one of the Hawaiian islands.”

**“Shit, Taako.”**

“Oh, he swears when it’s late.”

**“Um. I’m going to say Hawaii is a lie, because I don’t even know how you would do that.”**

“Nope! Ya boy’s got eleven piercings.”

**“But-”**

“We seriously misjudged where international waters start and where Hawaiian waters end. That’s all I’ll say.”

**“Where are your piercings?”**

“I like where your focus is, stud.”

**“Well…”**

“Ha. Um, I’ve got- eight on my ears and a septum piercing. I’ll let you guess where the other two are.” 

**“Ah… you’re winking, aren’t you?”**

“Mhm. And you’re blushing.”

**“Is it my turn?”**

“Go for it, bubbeleh.”

**“Okay. I… um. I went to boarding school in London. I once competed in a beatboxing tournament. I know karate.”**

“Holy shit. Okay. Fuck I want all of these to be truths, because they’re all super hot. Um… beatboxing?”

**“No, I got second place.”**

“Oh my god. What’s the lie?”

**“I know taekwondo, not martial arts.”**

“Okay, that one was kind of a half truth.”

**“They’re entirely different styles.”**

“Whatever. Beatboxing?”

**“I was in highschool. It was a dark time”**

“Demonstration.”

**“No.”**

“Pleeeeeeaaaaaaaase.”

**“I’m not about to embarrass myself at two in the morning.”**

“There’s no better time to embarrass yourself.” 

**“It’s your turn.”**

“Fine, dork. Okay. I… once shaved off my eyebrows on a dare. My sister and I both got chicken pox at nineteen. I have a secret, extra piercing that I forgot to tell you about.”

**“Where’s the other piercing?”**

“You’re calling that a truth, then?”

**“I think the chicken pox is a lie.”**

“Thatta boy. Yeah, only Lup got it, and I laughed my fucking ass off for like a week.”

**“That’s nice. Piercing?”**

“One track mind, hm? I think I’ll let you guess that one, too.”

**“Taako.”**

“It’s your turn.”

**“Fine. Um… I don’t know. I can’t think of anything.”**

“Don’t tell me you’re tapping out now.”

**“There’s really nothing that interesting about me.”**

“Bullshit. Okay, I’ll let you skip your turn if you give me a little sample of your beatboxing.”

**“You know what, it’s getting really late, I-”**

“Bullshit!”

**“I just really think that I should go to bed, don’t you-”**

“You’re- ha! You’re infuriating. Okay, fine. I’ll be a benevolent ruler and let you switch to truth or dare.”

**“I still am not particularly fond of the idea of you giving out dares.”**

“Truth or truth?”

**“So you just want to… ask questions?”**

“I ask you questions, and you legally have to tell me the truth. Them’s the rules, bubbeleh.”

**“Just you?”**

“I get to start, at least. Okay- are you hot?”

**“You’ve asked me that before.”**

“Yeah, but you didn’t give me a good enough answer.” 

**“I’m going to stick with I have no idea.”**

“Ugh, boring.”

**“Do I get to ask one now?”**

“No, you didn’t answer my first one. I want a re-do. Um… do you think I’m hot?”

**“I’m getting the feeling that you had very specific goals in these games of yours.”**

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, babe. You have to answer at least one of my questions.”

**“Alright. I- yes.”**

“To which one?”

**“The second one.”**

“Ah. So you think I’m…”

**“Stop winking.”**

“Never.”

**“I get to ask one now.”**

“Shoot.”

**“Why… okay. Why did you keep texting me after the first time?”**

“Yes or no questions only, hot stuff.”

**“That wasn’t in the rules.”**

“It is now. Do you still have your roller derby booty shorts?”

**“Yes. Do you secretly like Garfield?”**

“Hell no. Can you put on the booty shorts?”

**“No.”**

“Please?”

**“No. Did you really cry singing Wrecking Ball?”**

“Fuck you. Yes.”

**“Ha.”**

“Why haven’t you asked me for a picture?”

**“...I thought we were doing yes or no.”**

“I changed the rules.”

**“Alright. Um, I didn’t think it mattered?”**

“Hm.”

**“Why?”**

“No reason.”

**“There has to be a reason.”**

“Just… I dunno. You don’t know what I look like, and you’re still talking to me, so that must mean you like me for my personality or some dumb shit like that.”

**“I do. And- you don’t know what I look like, either.”**

“That’s cause you’re a dork. I don’t need to see a picture of you to know that.”

**“Do you… want a picture of me?”**

“I dunno. I mean- yes. But…”

**“I understand.”**

“Yeah?”

**“Yeah.”**

“Hm.”

**“Can I ask a question?”**

“Go for it, sweet cheeks.”

**“Do you want- never mind.”**

“No, no- do I want what?”

**“It’s stupid. Forget about it.”**

“Well now you’ve got me all worked up. You can’t just leave a guy hanging like that, death boy.”

**“I just- fine. Do you want- would you want to meet? Me. Sometime.”**

“Oh.”

**“It’s stupid, I know. You can just- forget it.”**

“No, it’s not- sorry, I just didn’t think that was something you wanted.”

**“What? Why?”**

“You never mentioned it.”

**“Neither did you.”**

“Oh yeah. I mean… yeah. I guess I’m a little curious. You?”

**“Yes.”**

“Ah.”

**“Is that… is that alright?”**

“Wanting to meet me? Duh. Who wouldn’t? Um… do you think we’re close?”

**“We have the same area code.”**

“You’re right. You’re actually only one digit off of Magnus’s number.”

**“Lucky that.”**

“Ha. Yeah.”

**“So…”**

“Listen. I do- I do want to meet you. Eventually. But-”

**“But.”**

“But. I don’t know if now is the… right time?”

**“Okay.”**

“I don’t mean-”

**“No, no, it’s fine. I totally understand. This is an… unconventional arrangement.”**

“Yeah. But I dig it. And I don’t want to-”

**“Rush it.”**

“You get me.”

**“Yeah, I do.”**

“One day though, right?”

**“Yeah. One day.”**

“Hm. Well, you should- oh, fucking hell. It’s four in the morning.”

**“I have to be up for work in an hour.”**

“Your schedule is a fucking nightmare, man. You need to sleep.”

**“You as well.”**

“Darn right I do. I’ll text you in the morning.”

**“Alright. Goodnight, Taako.”**

“Goodnight, Krav.”

[Call Ended]

X

Friday- AM

**Group Chat: Tres Horny Boyssss**

(10:37)  _ I’m gonna stop by before we leave tonight to see garfield! _

(10:38) ok

(10:40)  **_Um._ **

[mango chutney Has Been Removed from the Conversation]

(10:41) bitch move merle

(10:42)  **_We don’t have garfield!!_ **

(10:43) oh

(10:43) right

(10:44) okay just play it cool

[mango chutney Has Been Added to the Conversation]

(10:46)  _ Why do you guys keep removing me??? _

(10:47) my finger slipped bubbeleh

(10:48) listen

(10:48) when u come over tonight

(10:49) garfield is gonna b real happy to see u

[mango chutney Has Been Removed from the Conversation]

(10:50)  **_What the hell was that_ **

(10:51) i panicked

(10:52)  **_fucking hell_ **

[mango chutney Has Been Added to the Conversation]

(10:53)  _ guys this is getting mean :( _

(10:54) sorry, damn phones always acting up lmao 

(10:55) anyways we will see u tonight

(10:56) also garfield

(10:56) garfield will see u tonight

(10:57)  **_Right._ **

(10:58)  _ okay _

(10:59)  _ have a good day guys <3 :D  _

X

Friday- AM

(11:00)  **_We’re fucked._ **

(11:01) yeah no shit

X

Friday- AM

(11:15) yo could i borrow ur cat for like one night

(11:18)  **There are a few minor issues with that plan.**

(11:19) such as?

(11:20)  **You’ve already lost one cat. I don’t feel comfortable leaving Astra in your care.**

(11:22) yea that’s probably a good idea

(11:23) mags is coming over tonight before we go out and we r screwed

(11:24)  **Still no sign of him?**

(11:25) no. hes probably dead in a gutter or something

(11:27)  **Good god, Taako.**

(11:28) im a realist

(11:29) fuuuuuuuuck me

(11:30) that isnt an invitation but it could b if u were like down 

(11:31)  **Good to know. Maybe you should just tell him?**

(11:33) hm, good point

(11:34) or

(11:34) we take him to our place AFTER the party 2night

(11:35) if hes already drunk he’ll get all his emotions out, sober up, and we r in the clear

(11:37)  **Again, alcohol is not a proper coping mechanism.**

(11:38) it is for los tres horny boys

(11:39)  **...What?**

(11:41) me, mag-pie, and merley 

(11:42) we had a band briefly in college

(11:42) and we r horny

(11:43)  **How appropriate.**

(11:44) right? 

(11:47)  **I have a client coming at twelve, so I should go prepare the paperwork. Please try not to upset Magnus.**

(11:49) we wont!!! bye boo

X

Friday- PM

**Group Chat: Tres Horny Boyssss**

(9:03)  _ hey guys im outside!!! :)  _

(9:07)  _ hey guys ur door is unlocked!! :D  _

(9:11)  _ hey where r u guys _

(9:14)  _ im gonna eat this leftover quiche is that okay _

(9:18)  _ its really good taako!!! <3 _

(9:20)  _ hello? Are we still going the party tonight?  _

(9:22) oh! magnus! shoot we thought we were meeting at YOUR apartment!!

(9:23)  **_Yeah we just got here!_ **

(9:24)  _ oh okay! um... should we just meet at the party? _

(9:25) thats such a great idea magnus

(9:25) u know this is why we r friends

(9:26)  _ aw thanks!!! _

(9:27)  _ do you guys know where garfield is? _

(9:28)  **_Oh_ **

(9:29) oh yeah he was sleeping

(9:30) behind the fridge

(9:31)  _ what?? _

(9:32) yeah its a tight squeeze but i googled it and apparently cats do it a lot. you probably shouldnt disturb him

(9:33)  _ oh okay _

(9:34)  _ i’ll come back and see him later! see u guys in a few!!! _

(9:35) sure thing mango!!

X

Friday- PM

(9:37)  **_Did you say something about a bitch move earlier?_ **

(9:38) stfu it worked

(9:38) get out of the cupboard we have a party to get to 

X

Friday- PM

(9:47) off to get magnus drunk before we break the news to him :)

(9:52)  **I don’t know what I expected.**

(9:56) <3

X

Friday- PM

(11:42)  Um

(11:43)  Kravitz?

(11:51)  **Yes?**

(11:52)  Okay

(11:53)  Um

(11:54)  So you know how me and Hurley were going to that party?

(11:56)  **I do, yes.**

(11:57)  **Are you alright?**

(11:59)  Yeah

(12:00)  Just

(12:00)  Don’t freak out

(12:01)  **Well, now I am. What is it?**

(12:02)  Um

(12:03)  Hey krav its Hurley!!! -Hurley

(12:04)  **? Hello. Are you alright?**

(12:05)  Oh yeah we’re fine. We just think that there maybe might be the teeniest tiniest chance that someone you know is here -Hurley

(12:06)  **Oh. Who? Roller derby?**

(12:07)  No. Um

(12:08)  Sloane again! Hi

(12:09)  **Sloane, what’s going on?**

(12:10)  Okay so don’t freak

(12:11)  **Sloane.**

(12:12)  i think taako’s here

(12:15)  krav?

(12:16)  **At the party?**

(12:17)  yeah

(12:17)  **How do you know?**

(12:18)  i mean he’s with a bunch of people who are shouting ‘taako’ at him and we figured its kind of not a common name?

(12:19)  **I suppose.**

(12:20)  What do you want us to do? 

(12:21)  **I don’t know.**

(12:22)  should we say hi? 

(12:23)  **It’s up to you.**

(12:23)  well, it’s kind of up to you

(12:24)  **You can if you’d like.**

(12:24)  hang on, he’s with carey and killian

(12:25)  **Who?**

(12:26)  our friends

(12:26)  shit i think we’re getting introduced

(12:34)  **Sloane?**

(12:39)  yeah its taako

(12:40)  **Oh.**

(12:41)  we told him we’re ur friends

(12:42)  **What did he say?**

(12:43)  Not too much. He seemed pretty surprised

(12:43)  then he said he had to go get another drink

(12:44)  **Okay.**

(12:46)  You alright?

(12:47)  **I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be fine?**

(12:48)  I mean. Worlds colliding? Idk

(12:49)  **I suppose.**

(12:50)  if it makes you feel any better, he’s like. Wow 

(12:51)  **What?**

(12:52)  hang on hurley’s got this

(12:53)  krav we’re both gay but like holy shit this dude is hot -Hurley

(12:53)  like actual lord of the rings elf model? -Hurley

(12:54)  **Oh.**

(12:55)  have you seen a pic of him??

(12:56)  **No.**

(12:56)  hot damn he’s a catch

(12:57)  oh some guy with a broken arm is about to do a back flip???

(12:58)  **That would be Merle.**

(1:00)  HE DIDNT LAND IT

X

Saturday- AM

(12:50) hey my dude r u up

(12:51)  **Yes.**

(12:52) awesome

(12:52) rlly funny coincidence

(12:53)  **You met Sloane and Hurley?**

(12:54) lmao

(12:55) uh

(12:55) yeah they told u?

(12:56)  **They texted me.**

(12:57) lmao

(12:57) they seem really nice

(12:58)  **They are.**

(12:59) good good

(12:59) oh fucking hell

(1:00)  **Merle?**

(1:01) how

(1:01)  **Sloane said he didn’t land it.**

(1:02) no hes in maggie’s lap rn

(1:03) ngl this is really weird dude

(1:04)  **I know.**

(1:05) i guess we r really close to each other huh

(1:06)  **I guess.**

(1:07) sloane and hurley said they invited you tonight

(1:08)  **Yes. I wanted to get work done.**

(1:09) ah. thats a shame

(1:10)  **Yes.**

(1:12) u uh

(1:12) huh. idk what to say

(1:13) i hope i made a good first impression?

(1:14)  **You did. They told me you are very attractive.**

(1:18) ah hell krav. u cant do this to me when im tipsy

(1:19)  **Blushing?**

(1:20) never

(1:21) shit this party doesnt seem as fun anymore

(1:22)  **Why?**

(1:23) knowing u could have been here and arent makes it sadder

(1:24)  **That might be the alcohol talking.**

(1:25) it isnt

(1:27)  **Oh.**

(1:29) did they really say im hot? 

(1:30)  **You’re so predictable.**

(1:31) i just want the full story bubbeleh

(1:32) u havent yet been a witness to the glory that is taako 

(1:33) cant have u getting the wrong info

(1:34)  **They were very favorable of you.**

(1:35) good

(1:37) fucking iodjfaldkf merle’s on the COUCH AGAIN

(1:38)  **Does he not know when to stop?**

(1:39) normally no, but w twelve tequila shots in him definitely not

(1:40) i need to go stop him

(1:40) talk tomorrow?

(1:41)  **Yes. Go save Merle.**

(1:42) if i have to

X

Saturday- AM

(1:45)  holy shit i think his friend just rebroke his arm

(1:46)  **I heard.**

(1:47)  i think theyre leaving. wow taako talks a lot

(1:48)  **Yeah.**

(1:49)  u okay?

(1:50)  **Yes. Have fun at the party.**

(1:51)  alright, krav

X

Saturday- AM

(2:39) KRAV

(2:39) KAV HOLY FUCKING SHITG

(2:41)  **What??**

[Calling: death boy]

“Garfield’s here!” 

**“What?”**

“We just got back and he was fucking sitting on our couch!”

**“I told you he probably just needed space.”**

“No shit. I- whoops. Sorry, tripped a little. Ha.”

**“Still tipsy?”**

“Mmm no. I’m- Merle, get the fuck off me. If you think you have a concussion why don’t you go to fucking bed.”

**“That’s not what he should do!”**

“Too late. Ew, gross, he has lime in his beard. Hey, Magnus, come check this out!”

_ “Stop kicking him, Taako!” _

**“Taako, are you kicking Merle?”**

“No. Maybe. I’m drunk, I don’t know what I’m doing.”

**“Maybe you should go to bed.”**

“Maybe. Mags, sleep on our couch tonight. You- god. Yes, Garfield can stay with you. Can you- put the cat down, can you help me drag Merle to his room?” 

**“I’ll let you go.”**

“You aren’t going to help?”

**“I’d love to, but it’s too late for heavy lifting.”**

“Wimp. Fine. I’ll just- he’s already snoring, Mango, come on! Fuck.”

**“Get some rest, Taako.”**

“Yeah. Uh- shit, I- one sec, Magnus!”

_ “I already put Garfield down! Where are you-” _

“Sorry.”

**“It’s fine.”**

“I’m bummed you weren’t at the party.”

**“You are?”**

“Hell yeah. It would have been fun.” 

**“No offense, but I don’t think I want the first time we meet in person to be at a party.”**

“Really? How  _ do  _ you want me?”

**“Um.”**

“Winky face.”

**“You can’t just say winky face in a conversation.”**

“Yes I can, I’m drunk.”

**“Right. Well, I don’t know. Somewhere- quieter.”**

“More intimate?”

**“More intimate.”**

“God. If you had been at that party tonight- fuck off, Magnus, I’m going to the bathroom!”

**“...Did he just say boyfriend?”**

“Ignore him, he’s drunk too. I’m drunk. We’re all drunk.”

**“I’m not.”**

“Good for you. Okay, you were talking about how you want us to be intimate?”

**“Fuck, Taako. Go to bed.”**

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m drunk, you know.”

**“I know.”**

“Okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Or Monday, depending on how long it takes to get Merle to his fucking room.”

**“Ha. Alright. Goodnight.”**

“Goodnight! Magnus, I swear to-”

[Call Ended]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick updates because this format is surprisingly easy to churn out and I am stuck thinking on this fic all the time. Hope you liked it, and thank you for the lovely feedback so far! Let me know what you thought and leave a kudos if you'd like :)


	4. Chapter 4

Texting Styles:

Taako

**Kravitz**

_ Magnus _

**_Merle_ **

**_Lup_ **

Sloane

Monday- AM

**Group Chat: Tres Horny Boyssss**

(11:37)  _ hey merle _

(11:39)  **_Hey Magnus_ **

(11:40)  _ you know, if you ever started texting a guy you really liked _

(11:41)  _ id really want you to  _

(11:41)  _ you know _

(11:42)  **_Meet him?_ **

(11:43)  _ you read my mind buddy _

(11:45) fuk off

(11:46)  **_You met his friends at the party_ **

(11:47) yeah and then i had to go take care of u u asshole

(11:47) hows ur arm

(11:49)  **_This isn’t about my arm_ **

(11:49) still broken?   


(11:50)  _ have you talked about it with him _

(11:52) ugh

(11:53) ofc

(11:54)  **_And?_ **

(11:55) have u guys ever considered this is none of ur business

(11:56)  _ no _

(11:56)  **_Nah_ **

(11:57) assholes

(11:58)  _ come on taako you guys text all the time!!! _

(11:59)  **_And when you’re not texting you’re calling. Don’t think I didn’t hear your gross piercing discussion_ **

(12:00) im moving

(12:00)  **_Be my guest._ **

(12:01) not that it’s any of u loser’s business

(12:02) but we have talked abt meeting

(12:02) and decided now isnt the time

(12:03)  _ but why!!!!!!!!!!!!!! _

(12:04) it just isnt magnus lay off

(12:05)  **_Is this about you know what_ **

(12:06)  _ merle.  _

(12:07)  **_What?? If we’re going full therapy mode maybe we should. You know. Talk about everything_ **

(12:08)  _ dude lay off _

(12:08)  _ taako? _

(12:11) What?

(12:12)  _ we’re not trying to push you or anything _

(12:12)  _ we just want u to be happy _

(12:13)  _ right, merle? _

(12:13)  **_Right_ **

(12:14) happiness is 4 chumps

(12:15)  _ taako :/ _

(12:17) well how tf am i supposed to be happy when everyone treats me like im abt to fuckin break every time anything happens

(12:18)  **_Taako_ **

(12:18) forget it

(12:19) I’m at work I need to go

(12:19) and dont fucking make kravitz check on me. you dont get to pawn me off on him every time you think im having a meltdown. 

(12:20)  _ hey that’s not what we do!!! Taako please _

(12:26)  _ Taako? _

(12:28)  **_Give it a rest, Magnus. We’ll talk to him later_ **

(12:29)  _ okay :( _

X

Monday- PM

(7:21) garfield got even grosser

(7:23)  **At least he’s back.**

(7:24) i guess

(7:25) hes just sitting in the corner glaring at me tho

(7:25) i think he wants to kill me

(7:26)  **That just means he likes you.**

(7:27) oh great

(7:27) thats even worse

(7:28)  **What are you doing?**

(7:30) cooking

(7:31)  **That’s fun. What are you cooking?**

(7:32) food

(7:33)  **My favorite.**

(7:34) ha

(7:34) im making paella

(7:35)  **Special occasion?**

(7:36) no. i like to cook when im thinking

(7:37)  **What are you thinking about?**

(7:38) lots of questions tonight bubbeleh

(7:38) idk. stuff 

(7:39) what r u doing

(7:40)  **Sloane and Hurley are over.**

(7:42) oh. dont let me keep u

(7:43)  **No, it’s fine. They’re just using me for my Hulu account. They’re watching a movie.**

(7:44) got it. if it makes u feel better, i am also using u for ur hulu account

(7:45)  **I wondered who was watching all of those kitschy cooking shows.**

(7:46) hey dont b a jerk

(7:47)  **Never.**

(7:47) hm

(7:49)  **Are you alright?**

(7:53) yeah

(7:54) id be better if everyone stopped fucking asking me that

(7:55)  **...I’m sorry.**

(7:58) dont b. that was too much. im an asshole

(7:59)  **You’re not.**

(8:02) its cute that u think that

(8:03)  **Do you want me to call you?**

(8:05) no

(8:06)  **Okay.**

(8:09)  **Do you want me to cash in on that question?**

(8:10) what question

(8:11)  **What I wanted to do before I was a mortician.**

(8:13) o shit

(8:13) if u want

(8:14)  **I wanted to be a musician.**

(8:15) really?

(8:16)  **Yeah. I studied music for a little bit in college. Wrote a few songs, performed at a few coffee shops.**

(8:17) ur such a hipster

(8:17)  **Ha.**

(8:18) what happened?

(8:19)  **My mother got sick. I took a break from school to help her with the funeral home. And I just… never went back.**

(8:20) krav

(8:21)  **It’s truly fine. I do enjoy being a mortician, as strange as that sounds. And I enjoy working with my mother.**

(8:22) yeah but

(8:23) it sounds like u rlly liked music

(8:24)  **I did.**

(8:25) would you ever go back? 

(8:26)  **I don’t have the time.**

(8:27) sure u do!!

(8:28)  **No one would listen.**

(8:30) i would

(8:31)  **Oh**

(8:34) paella’s done

(8:35)  **Is it good?**

(8:36) hell yeah. want some?

(8:37)  **I’d love a bowl.**

(8:38) gr8 i’ll make u one

(8:39)  **Ha**

(8:40)  **Hurley’s yelling at me for missing the movie. Enjoy your paella.**

(8:41) i will. thanks, stud.

X

Tuesday- AM

(1:39) [Calling- death boy]

**“...Taako?”**

“I want to meet you.”

**“I’m- sorry, what?”**

“I want to meet you.”

**“Oh.”**

“...I’m sorry I woke you up.”

**“No, no, it’s fine, let me just- okay.”**

“Okay?”

**“Okay.”**

“Oh. Ha. Awesome.”

**“When?”**

“I’m, um… I don’t know. I didn’t really think you’d say yes.”

**“Of course I want to, Taako.”**

“Oh. Hm, imagine that.”

**“We can… talk more about it in the morning?”**

“Yeah. Cool. That’s chill.”

**“Great. I-”**

“Aw, your yawn is so cute.”

**“Don’t-”**

“Ugh, you’re gonna kill me with all the adorable that’s going on over there. Alright, I get the hint. I’ll let you sleep.”

**“Why did you call me now?”**

“What? Oh. No reason. I was just up.”

**“Thinking?”**

“Yeah.”

**“What about?”**

“Ha. What do you think?”

**“I don’t know.”**

“You, dumbass.”

**“Oh.”**

“What, you weren’t thinking about me?”

**“I was sleeping.”**

“Dreaming about me?”

**“I don’t know. If it was, it would have been a good dream.”**

“You- ugh. You smooth motherfucker. How can a dork be so smooth?”

**“Maybe I’m not a dork.”**

“No, you are. I bet you’ve read every Harry Potter book.”

**“You haven’t?”**

“You fucking nerd!”

**“They’re classics, Taako.”**

“Shut up, I can’t stand it. And you’re all sleepy still-”

**“Stop it.”**

“Oh, he’s blushing.”

**“I am not.”**

“Are too.” 

**“Am- no, I’m not doing this with you.”**

“Lame.”

**“Shouldn’t you try and get some sleep?”**

“Are you going to make me?”

**“Taako.”**

“Ha! Fine, I’ll take pity on you. Go back to bed, death boy.”

**“We’ll talk more in the morning.”**

“You bet your spandex-clad ass we will.”

[Call Ended]

X

Tuesday- AM 

(10:32) this weekend?

(10:33)  **I’m free Saturday.**

(10:35) me 2. awesome :)

X

Tuesday- AM

(10:38)  **Emergency.**

(10:41)  **Sloane.**

(10:43)  what

(10:44)  **He wants to meet me.**

(10:45)  ofc he does

(10:45)  **No, like**

(10:45)  **This Saturday.**

(10:46)  oh shit

(10:47)  **I know.**

(10:48)  Are you excited?

(10:49)  **I’m mostly just…**

(10:49)  nervous?

(10:50)  **Yes.**

(10:51)  you know the hard part is already done, right? You guys know each other. You like each other. This is just sealing the deal

(10:53)  **We don’t know that.**

(10:54)  krav

(10:54)  you should have seen his face when we told him we were your friends

(10:55)  it was like someone had splashed him with paint he was so red

(10:57)  **That was probably the alcohol.**

(10:58)  no, he got super flustered. And I get the feeling he doesn’t get like that often

(10:59)  **He doesn’t.**

(11:00)  See? He likes you. You have nothing to worry about

(11:04)  you’re still worrying, aren’t you?

(11:05)  **You know me well.**

(11:06)  I do. Which is why I will be over tonight with a bottle of white zinfandel so we can unpack your worries

(11:07)  **You don't have to do that.**

(11:08)  See you at six?

(11:09)  **That works.**

(11:10)  Talk to you then, krav

X

Wednesday- PM

**Group Chat: Tres Horny Boyssss**

(4:18) get in losers we’re going shopping

(4:21) losers?

(4:25) guyssss

(4:27)  _ why are we going shopping _

(4:28) bc i need clothes and i want opinions

(4:29)  **_You mean you want people to compliment you._ **

(4:30) exactly! ready 2 go? 

(4:31)  _ im down _

(4:32)  **_I don’t want to_ **

(4:33) you have to merle i bought the beer last weekend

(4:34)  **_Because you already owed it to me!_ **

(4:36)  _ what’s the occasion? _

(4:37) i need a new outfit for this weekend

(4:38)  **_Why_ **

(4:39) cant a guy just want new clothes??

(4:40)  _ YOURE MEETING KRAVITZ ARENT U _

(4:41) magnus wtf 

(4:42)  _ IM RIGHT _

(4:42)  _ IM RIGHT ARENT I  _

(4:43) dude stop yelling

(4:44)  **_Does this mean we have to go shopping with you and listen to you pine_ **

(4:45) i dont pine

(4:46)  **_:/_ **

(4:47)  _ IM ON MY WAY _

(4:47)  _ WHATS HIS FAV COLOR ARE YOU GUYS GONNA MATCH _

(4:48) at least someone is appropriately excited

(4:49) @merle highchurch

(4:50)  **_Shut up im putting my fucking shoes on_ **

(4:51)  _ YOU SHOULD BOTH WEAR BLUE!!!!!!!!!  _

X

Wednesday- PM

(5:28) what vibe are we going for on sat

(5:30)  **What do you mean?**

(5:31) i mean

(5:32) 

(5:32) do u want me to b like real innocent

(5:33)  **I dislike whatever connotation you have behind that.**

(5:34) or or

(5:34) 

(5:34) 

(5:35) this kinda look

(5:37)  **I’m afraid to ask who daddy is.**

(5:38) ;) 

(5:39)  **You can wear whatever you want, Taako.**

(5:40) i know i just wanna look good for daddy

(5:41)  **Goodbye, Taako.**

(5:42) noooo ok fine i wont

(5:43) come on i brought mags and merle for opinions but they r fashion travesties

(5:44)  **You think I’m any better?**

(5:45) you literally cannot be worse

(5:47) merle is currently wearing a polyester track suit

(5:48)  **I have a few of those.**

(5:50) dont even JOKE abt that

(5:51) yeah hi can u call 911 magnus just but a pair of denim boots in the cart

(5:52)  **Denim… boots?**

(5:53) u fucking heard me 

(5:54)  **I take it back. It does matter what you wear. You have to wear the denim boots.**

(5:55) nooo anything but the doots

(5:56)  **That was the worst thing I’ve ever read.**

(5:57) u havent read merle’s diary then

(5:58)  **That’s my cue to leave. Good luck with the shopping.**

(5:59) im gonna b lookin real cute for u daddy

(6:00)  **Stop.**

X

Wednesday- PM

(8:28)  **_are you going on a date this weekend_ **

(8:33) who told u that

(8:34)  **_dont get mad at magnus i threatened to take his cat away_ **

(8:36) brb tying my hair back so i can go kill him

(8:37)  **_why didn’t you tell me?_ **

(8:39) bc i know u 

(8:40) ur gonna worry and make this a thing

(8:42)  **_no im not!_ **

(8:43) ok good

(8:47)  **_who is he_ **

(8:49) l u p 

(8:50)  **_what im just curious!!_ **

(8:51) its a long story

(8:52)  **_is he nice_ **

(8:53) yes

(8:53) its not even a date

(8:54)  **_that’s not what magnus said_ **

(8:55) magnus doesnt know shit why are u trusting magnus

(8:56)  **_ if it’s not a date then what is it? _ **

(8:57) just guys bein dudes

(8:58)  **_taako_ **

(8:59) look lup idk what it is

(8:59) idkidkidkidk

(9:00) so can u maybe lay off a bit

(9:01)  **_what’s your problem???_ **

(9:02) my problem is i can feel u judging me from here

(9:03)  **_why would i be judging you?_ **

(9:04)  **_look i just think you should maybe know more about this guy before you meet him_ **

(9:05) i fucking knew it

(9:06)  **_taako_ **

(9:07) look lup i said i didnt want to talk about it

(9:08)  **_i’m just worried about you._ **

(9:10) well fucking stop

(9:10) im a grown ass adult and i can handle my own shit.

(9:11)  **_could you stop fighting everyone for one second and let us try and help you?_ **

(9:12) fucking hell lup i dont need help

(9:13) just bc u and barold have ur shit together doesnt mean the rest of us need you therapizing us

(9:14)  **_maybe i wouldn’t have to therapize you if you hadn’t stopped going to therapy_ **

(9:18)  **_don’t be a child, taako. you can’t disappear every time someone says something you don’t like_ **

(9:20) Fuck off, lup.

(9:21)  **_ look, i’m not saying you can’t go on dates, i’m just asking you to be careful _ **

(9:23) would u listen to me for once in our fucking life

(9:23) im not going on a DATE.

(9:24)  **_well then whatever it is you’re not telling me_ **

(9:25) ur just upset u dont know every fucking thing thats happening in my life

(9:26)  **_yeah, you’re right. because guess what happened the last time i didn’t know what was happening?_ **

(9:29)  **_taako._ **

[Calling- koko]

[Call Declined]

(9:32)  **_ fucking hell _ **

(9:33)  **_listen im sorry_ **

(9:34)  **_i just_ **

(9:34)  **_im fucking worried abt u_ **

(9:42)  **_taako?_ **

X

Thursday- AM

(10:07)  **Do you have any preference for where you’d like to meet?**

(10:13) anywheres alright w me, hot stuff

(10:14) did u wanna get dinner?

(10:15)  **That would be lovely.**

(10:16) theres a nifty new vegetarian place downtown

(10:17)  **Vegetarian?**

(10:18) arent u vegetarian?

(10:20)  **I am. I didn’t expect you to remember.**

(10:21) everyone always underestimates my listening skills

(10:22)  **It won’t happen again.**

(10:23)  **Seven?**

(10:24) perfect time to wear my doots

(10:25)  **I can’t wait to see them.**

(10:26) u sure know how to make a guy blush ;)

(10:26) i’ll text u the address

(10:28)  **I’m looking forward to it.**

X

Thursday- PM

**Group Chat: Tres Horny Boyssss**

(4:28)  **_Doc said I can get my cast off next week_ **

(4:30) aw but i worked so hard drawing that penis

(4:31)  **_Yes, and it made work really awkward_ **

(4:32) haha good

(4:34)  _ we should throw a party to celebrate!! _

(4:35) and let him get drunk and break his arm again? fat chance

(4:36)  **_It’s fine. I’ve actually kind of gotten used to life with one arm_ **

(4:37) jesus merle

(4:39)  _ soooooooo party? _

(4:40)  **_Hell yeah_ **

(4:41) i mean i guess

(4:42) if merle breaks his arm again its magnus’s fault

(4:43)  _ i am prepared to take full blame _

(4:44)  _ wait can we make the party space themed _

(4:45) sure. a space themed party to celebrate merle’s healing but still mostly broken body. it’ll be just as good as my third birthday party

(4:46)  **_Like you had a third birthday party_ **

(4:47) yikes lil man, going straight for the family shots

(4:47) i like it 

(4:48)  _ guys stop fighting we need to plan the party _

(4:49)  _ ohh kravitz can come!! _

(4:50)  **_Hey, isn’t this my birthday party?_ **

(4:51) yeah your hundredth bday

(4:52)  _ burn _

(4:53) lmao thx

(4:54)  **_You’re both assholes. I’m leaving_ **

(4:55) im sitting on the couch next to u 

(4:56)  **_Yeah. bye_ **

(4:57)  _ did he leave _

(4:58) ofc not. he doesnt have other friends to talk to 

(4:59)  **_Jackass_ **

(5:00)  _ i’ll get the balloons for the party _

(5:02) cool. can u also get everything else

(5:03)  _ merle? _

(5:04)  **_I don’t have to get supplies for my own party_ **

(5:05)  _ i guess not _

(5:06)  _ okay but im getting balloons shaped like little ufos its gonna be really cute _

(5:07) u do that, big guy

(5:08)  **_And a cake?_ **

(5:09)  _ shaped like an alien!!! _

(5:10) the other three year olds will love it

X

Friday- AM 

(8:38) morning handsome

(8:39) 

(8:39) want me to bring this for tomorrow? 

(8:47)  **I’ve already picked my outfit out, but now I see that it’s not good enough.**

(8:48) not unless u throw this on top of it

(8:49)  **Please bring it, then. I want to look my best.**

(8:50) god, i love a man who puts in effort

(8:52)  **Are we still good for seven tomorrow?**

(8:53) lmao yes

(8:53) i’ll b the hot one

(8:54)  **I’m sure I’ll spot you easily, then.**

(8:55) hell yeah

(8:56) excited?

(8:57)  **Very much so.**

(8:58) ha. me too, stud

X

Friday- PM

(2:17)  **_are you going to talk to me?_ **

(2:42)  **_fine._ **

X

Friday- PM

(11:38) hey magnus

(11:46)  _ what’s up? _

(11:50) i

(11:53) nvm

(11:53) gn

(11:55)  _ no what is it taako _

(11:58) idk

(11:59)  _ is this about tomorrow? _

(12:02) no

(12:03)  _ it’s okay to be nervous _

(12:06) im not

(12:07) _ okay _

(12:08)  _ why don’t you try and get some sleep _

(12:14) k

(12:15)  _ are you sure you’re alright? _

(12:19) yeah

(12:20) goodnight

(12:21)  _ gn taako _

X

Saturday- AM

(10:08)  **Good morning.**

(11:32) gm! 

(11:33) god it feels good to sleep in

(11:38)  **I second that.**

(11:39)  **Do you have plans for the day?**

(11:41) first, im gonna make myself a bomb brunch

(11:42) then im gonna spend the rest of the day getting ready

(11:42) im meeting a real hunk for dinner tonight

(11:43)  **Oh really?**

(11:45) hmm

(11:47)  **I’ll leave you to it, then.**

(11:48) ;)

X

Saturday- PM

(12:03)  **What if he doesn’t like me?**

(12:07)  krav

(12:08)  he already likes you

(12:09)  **Yes, but what if we meet and we haven’t nothing to talk about? And he thinks I’m boring?**

(12:11)  he’s been talking to you through text only for over a month. if he hasn’t gotten bored yet, he won’t when you’re talking in person

(12:12)  **What if I’m not what he’s expecting?**

(12:13)  i’m sure he knows what to expect

(12:14)  **Not physically.**

(12:16) krav

(12:17)  look

(12:17)  i totally understand why you’re nervous. i’d be nervous too

(12:18)  but 1. if taako cared about what you look like he would have asked for a picture by now

(12:19)  2\. you’re smoking hot anyways so it doesn’t matter

(12:20)  **You’re sweet, Sloane.**

(12:21)  fuck off I’m just telling you the truth!!!

(12:22)  do you care what taako looks like?

(12:23)  **No.**

(12:24)  I bet it’s the same for him.

(12:25)  **You’re right.**

(12:26)  damn right I am

(12:27)  You’re going to have such an amazing night tonight, krav. I’m so happy for you.

(12:28)  **Thanks, Sloane.**

(12:29)  i am too!!!! -Hurley

(12:30)  **Ha. Thanks, Hurley.**

X

Saturday- PM

(6:28)  **_Did you already leave for your date?_ **

(6:37)  **_Taako?_ **

X

Saturday- PM

(6:35)  _ merle said u left to go meet kravitz!!!! go get em!!!!! <3 :) :D _

(6:39)  _ dont be nervous you’re gonna be great!!!!! _

(6:42)  _ are you excited??? _

(6:45)  _ taako??  _

X

Saturday- PM

(7:01)  **I’m here.**

(7:04)  **Should I get a table?**

(7:13)  **Taako?**

(7:24)  **Is everything alright?**

**[Calling: Taako]**

(7:35)  **Do I… have the wrong time?**

(7:45)  **If you didn’t want to meet me, you could have told me.**

(7:58)  **Can you at least let me know if you’re alright?**

(8:29)  **Okay. Sorry I bothered you.**

X

Saturday- PM

(7:22)  **Sloane he isn’t here.**

(7:24)  is he running late?

(7:25)  **I don’t know. He’s not responding to his texts.**

(7:26)  have you tried calling him?

(7:30)  **He didn’t pick up.**

(7:32)  shit

(7:33)  you were supposed to meet at seven????

(7:34)  **Yes. I think?**

(7:35)  shit

(7:36)  **How… long should I wait?**

(7:37)  maybe give him a few more minutes??? maybe something happened?

(7:42)  **Maybe he just decided he doesn’t want to meet me.**

(7:43)  that doesn’t make sense!!!

(7:44)  **I’m leaving.**

(7:45)  okay

(7:46)  hurley and i are coming over

(7:47)  **You don’t have to.**

(7:48)  yes we do

(7:48)  we’re on our way. see you at your place

(7:50)  **Thank you.**

X

Saturday- PM

(8:04)  **_taako where the fuck are you_ **

(8:05)  **_merle and magnus said you aren’t responding to them_ **

(8:11)  **_taako i’m your fucking sister. you can’t do this to me._ **

(8:14) im fine

(8:15)  **_where the fuck are you????_ **

(8:23) im fine dont worry

(8:24)  **_we’re all fucking worrying_ **

(8:28)  **_taako???_ **

X

Saturday- PM

(8:09)  _ hey kravitz! Is taako with you? :) _

(8:15)  **No.**

(8:19)  _ i thought you were going to meet up together?? _

(8:21)  **I did too.**

(8:23)  _ oh _

(8:25)  **I hope you find him. Goodnight.**

(8:26)  _...alright.  _

X

Saturday- PM

(8:27)  _ taako did you stand kravitz up? _

(8:58)  _ that wasn’t cool, taako. _

X

Saturday- PM

(9:30)  **_We don’t have to talk about it if you come home._ **

(10:03)  **_Can you at least talk to someone?_ **

X

Sunday- AM 

(2:04)  **_You can stop looking. He came back_ **

(2:06)  _ thank god _

(2:07)  _ should i….? _

(2:08)  **_ no. go get some sleep. I’ll talk to him _ **

(2:09)  _ okay. goodnight, lup _

(2:10)  **_thanks magnus._ **

(2:11)  _ <3 _

X

Sunday- PM

(4:03) kravitz

(4:27) kravitz. im sorry.

(4:31) please talk to me?

(4:38)  **Are you hurt?**

(4:39) no

(4:44)  **Good.**

(4:45) will you talk to me?

(4:49)  **I don’t want to, Taako.**

(4:50) listen. im so sorry. that was probably the worst thing i could have done

(4:52) ok not probably. that was the worst thing i could have done

(4:53) im so sorry im not

(4:55) i dont know what to say. im just really really really fucking sorry. 

(4:59) kravitz?

(5:03) i get it if you dont want to talk to me again. just know that im super sorry and you definitely didnt deserve that. 

(5:36)  **Why?**

(5:38) i cant

(5:39) its complicated

(5:43)  **Goodbye.**

(5:44) no wait please

(5:46) fuck

(5:47) can i call you

(5:58) kravitz?

(6:07)  **Fine.**

[Calling: death boy]

“...Hello?”

**“What?”**

“Kravitz. I’m- I’m so fucking sorry.”

**“You said that.”**

“I know. But I just- I am. I really, really didn’t mean to…”

**“Stand me up?”**

“Yeah.”

**“...Anything else?”**

“I- I shouldn’t have agreed to meet you.”

**“...Right.”**

“No, not- not like that, I swear, not-”

**“Listen. I told you that we didn’t have to meet. You were the one who asked me.”**

“I know. I thought I was ready.”

**“...”**

“Kravitz?”

**“Look, Taako, I’m tired. If that’s everything you have to say, I’m going to go.”**

“No- no, please- I-”

**“...Are you-?”**

“No! I just- sorry, I-”

**“You’re crying.”**

“No fucking shit, Sherlock.”

**“...”**

“Sorry. Sorry, I’m- it’s been a long night. Day.”

**“Yeah. It has.”**

“I- yeah. Um.”

**“What happened?”**

“I was going to come. I swear. I- I got ready, and I was going to leave, but- I don’t know. Something… happened.”

**“You’re going to need to be more specific.”**

“I fucking panicked, okay! I- I started thinking about it too hard, and I spiralled, and then I couldn’t go home because everyone was looking for me and they would see what a massive fuck up I am, and- it’s not like they don’t already know it, but I didn’t- I couldn’t- and I left you waiting there, and I feel like shit because I couldn’t even get myself to text you back-”

**“Taako.”**

“But I didn’t want you to see what a massive fuck up I am either, because you’re the only fucking person who doesn’t treat me like I’m- like I’m going to-”

**“Like you’re going to what?”**

“Fucking do this!”

**“Taako, you need to breathe.”**

“I am breathing!”

**“...”**

“Okay. I’m breathing now.”

**“Okay. Taako, I… I’m confused.”**

“I know. Sorry, that probably didn’t make any sense.”

**“No. You… panicked about meeting me?”**

“Yes. No. I mean- yes, but I was panicking about… a lot of other stuff. God, this is embarrassing.”

**“...”**

“...Do you hate me?”

**“I- no, Taako. I’m just- I’m hurt.”**

“I know.”

**“If you didn’t want to meet me, you could have said something.”**

“But I did want to meet you! I- do. I do, Kravitz. It’s just- it’s hard. God, you don’t even know half the things I’ve fucked up.”

**“No. You haven’t told me.”**

“I… yeah. I haven’t.”

**“...Right. Listen. I don’t know what… I don’t know what happened to you, and I don’t know what…** **_this_ ** **is. But I think it might be best if we… stopped.”**

“What?”

**“It sounds like it’s not helping.”**

“No. No, Krav, I-”

**“Taako. Breathe.”**

“I- I’m sorry, Krav, I fucking ruined everything, didn’t I? You’re- you’re so nice, and I just-” 

**“Taako.”**

“Right. Breathe. I’m breathing. I’m fine.”

**“...”**

“I was in a really bad relationship, Krav.”

**“What?”**

“Like. Bad. And I thought I would be ready to… I don’t know, I thought I would be ready, but I- wasn’t. I know it’s pathetic.”

**“How long ago?”**

“It- ended- two years ago, almost.”

**“How was it bad?”**

“He- I don’t-”

**“Hey, it’s alright, I didn’t mean to-”**

“He’s in prison.”

**“He’s… oh.”**

“...That was too much, wasn’t it? Right, that was- yeah, that was too much. Sorry.”

**“No, it’s… sorry, that caught me off guard. He’s- why is he in prison?”**

“It’s… I’m sorry. I don’t- I can’t-”

**“That’s okay.”**

“No it’s not. You deserve-”

**“Taako. It’s okay.”**

“I… really?”

**“Yeah. I mean- I don’t think you stood me up just to be an asshole.”**

“Ha. No. Not intentionally.”

**“Okay. That’s… good.”**

“I’m so sorry.”

**“I know.”**

“...I, uh. I guess you probably don’t want to talk to me anymore.”

**“I…”**

“It’s alright if you don’t. I- I get it. It’s fine.”

**“Taako, I… listen. I didn’t understand why you didn’t come. Now I do.”**

“But…” 

**“It still- it hurt. But I appreciate your apology.”**

“...Okay.”

**“Thank you for being so open with me.”**

“Thanks for- I don’t know. Listening.”

**“I’ll always listen.”**

“You’ll…?”

**“Yes. If- you want.”**

“I do. I- yes. Krav, I-”

**“Okay, then.”**

“You’re too fucking nice, Krav. Do you know that?”

**“Ha. Yeah. Sloane calls it my fatal flaw.”**

“She’s right about that. Um… what are we from here?”

**“What do you mean?”**

“Uh…”

**“Oh. Well. I think we’re just- whatever we were before, yeah?”**

“I don’t know what that is.”

**“I don’t, either.”**

“Okay. Well- I don’t think I can tell you everything right now. But I will. I promise. Then we- decide from there?”

**“That sounds… reasonable.”**

“Okay. Krav?”

**“What?”**

“Thank you. For- for giving me a second chance.”

**“You’re welcome, Taako. I’m glad you’re alright.”**

“Ha. Um… I should probably go. If I don’t come out of my room I think my sister is going to burn a hole through the wall.”

**“Alright.”**

“Talk… talk to you later?”

**“Yes, Taako.”**

“Okay. Bye.”

**“Goodbye.”**

[Call Ended]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...sorry?  
> I know this got super angsty at the end, but I promise it'll pick back up again in the next chapter. Also, I promise that Taako will tell the whole story and it'll make a bit more sense.  
> Thanks for all the support, y'all!! It really makes my day to hear that you guys are connecting with this story. I'll be back with another update soon < 3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: description of a physically/emotionally abusive relationship.

Texting Styles:

Taako

**Kravitz**

_Magnus_

**_Merle_ **

**_Lup_ **

Sloane 

Monday- AM

(9:28)  hey krav how are you doing? 

(9:34) **I’m fine.**

(9:35) **We talked.**

(9:37)  you and taako?? 

(9:38) **Yes.**

(9:40) And? 

(9:42) **We’re okay.**

(9:43)  you’re 

(9:43)  are you sure that’s a good idea? 

(9:44) **No.**

(9:47)  kravitz. you were really upset 

(9:48) **I know. But he said he had a good reason.**

(9:49)  and you believe him? 

(9:51) **Yes.**

(9:52)  okay :/ 

(9:53)  just take care of yourself, please 

(9:53)  i don’t want you to get hurt 

(9:55) **Thank you, Sloane.**

(9:56)  anytime, pal 

X

Monday- AM

(10:29) good morning

(10:41) **Good morning.**

(10:42) oh

(10:42) i didnt think you were going to respond

(10:45) **I said I would.**

(10:46) yeah

(10:47) how are u?

(10:49) **Fine. I have a lot of work to get done.**

(10:50) **How are you?**

(10:51) we love a working boy

(10:52) im fine

(10:53) lup made me skip work today

(10:54) **Lup?**

(10:55) my sister

(10:56) **Oh. Right.**

(10:56) **Are you alright?**

(10:57) i’ll be fine bubbeleh

(10:58) i’d b better if lup stopped hovering tho

(11:00) **Ha. Worried, is she?**

(11:02) apparently i dont have good ““coping mechanisms”” or something

(11:03) **I’m inclined to agree with her.**

(11:04) not fair u cant all team up against me

(11:05) hey who discovered penicillin

(11:06) **Fleming.**

(11:08) fuckin cheers babe

(11:09) **?**

(11:10) we’re playing trivial pursuit

(11:11) **I don’t think you’re allowed to phone a friend in trivial pursuit.**

(11:12) good thing ur not a friend ;)

(11:12) wheres the smallest bone in the body???

(11:13) **Ear. Can’t you google these?**

(11:16) yeah but i just like seeing how much of a nerd u r

(11:17) How many chambers are in the heart?

(11:18) **I don’t know.**

(11:19) yes u do ur a mortician!!

(11:20) **Sorry. I can’t hear you. I’m too busy being a nerd.**

(11:21) kravvvvvvvv

(11:21) come on barold is abt to yell at me for cheating quick

(11:22) FINE UR NOT A NERD

(11:23) **4.**

(11:24) thx nerd

(11:25) **You are impossible.**

(11:27) love u 2 babe

X

Monday- PM

(1:27) _hey taako said u guys are good again_

(1:28) _r u_

(1:32) **Yes, we’re good.**

(1:33) _yayy!!! :) :D <3 <3 _

(1:34) _can i ask a question?_

(1:35) **Yes?**

(1:37) _would u rather eat “plutoballs” or “meteorballs” ??_

(1:39) **Is this a trick question?**

(1:40) _nonono just which one sounds more appetizing to you_

(1:42) **...Neither?**

(1:43) _fuck thats what taako said but hes super prissy abt food so i thought maybe other ppl would like one of them_

(1:44) _damn_

(1:46) **Might I ask what this is for?**

(1:48) _merle is getting his cast off next week so im throwing him a party_

(1:49) _its space themed!!!!!! XD im trying to name the spaghetti and meatballs something fun_

(1:50) _youre defo invited by the way!!_

(1:52) **Ah. That’s very kind of you, Magnus.**

(1:53) **In that case, I think “spaghetti and plutoballs” is a wonderful name.**

(1:54) _really!!! wow okay i’ll start making the name tags!!_

(1:55) _thanks kravitz!!! <3 _

(1:57) **You’re welcome, Magnus.**

X

Monday- PM

(2:36) plutoballs

(2:41) **I think it’s nice.**

(2:42) yeah ur not the one who has to fucking make them

(2:43) goddamnit krav i literally just made him give up on calling the cheese platter “moon rocks of fun”

(2:45) **I don’t know, that sounds good to me.**

(2:46) i am surrounded by BARBARIANS

(2:48) **Someone is passionate about their food.**

(2:50) id hope so. i used to be a chef u know

(2:52) **Really?**

(2:53) mhmm

(2:54) id sooner eject myself into the sun than serve something called spaghetti and plutoballs

(2:56) **I’d prepare that eject button then, because Magnus seems very excited.**

(2:57) ya hes trying to make us wear costumes

(2:58) **Do tell.**

(3:00) down, boy

(3:01) idk if even i could pull off “sexy moon”

(3:02) **He… wants you to dress as the moon?**

(3:03) different planetary objects ya

(3:04) **I think the moon offers a plethora of options.**

(3:05) oh?

(3:07) **I’m confident in your abilities.**

(3:08) to make the moon sexy?

(3:09) **Yes.**

(3:10) hmm okay. challenge accepted.

(3:12) **I’m looking forward to it.**

(3:13) ur makin me blush krav

(3:14) magnus said he invited you?

(3:15) **He did.**

(3:16) sooo

(3:17) **I most likely won’t be able to make it. I’m going out of town next week.**

(3:18) really?

(3:19) **I’m taking my mother to visit my grandmother. She lives a few hours away.**

(3:21) oh okay

(3:21) thats cool

(3:22) i just wanted to let u know that if u wanted to come u definitely could

(3:23) **Thank you, Taako. I appreciate it.**

(3:24) yeah

(3:25) plus mags probably would have made u come as jupiter or something and i would have paid to see it

(3:27) **I’m sure there will be a time for that.**

(3:29) thered better be

X

Tuesday- PM

(2:08)  **_how u doing baby brother_ **

(2:13)  **_fine_ **

(2:14)  **_how u doing, twin brother?_ **

(2:15) im doing great lulu! thx for asking

(2:16)  **_doofus_ **

(2:17)  **_really tho_ **

(2:19) im fine. i promise

(2:20) he’s, uh. still talking to me

(2:20) for some reason

(2:21)  **_i’m glad, taako_ **

(2:22) yeah. almost really fucked that one up didnt i

(2:23)  **_yup_ **

(2:24) cool cool thx

(2:25)  **_im really proud of you for reaching out to him_ **

(2:27) gross

(2:28)  **_yeah i know but i get to be sappy once in a while_ **

(2:29) still gross

(2:30)  **_r u coming over for dinner tonight?_ **

(2:31) sure. merle wants fried chicken. im compromising w him and roasting it

(2:33)  **_aw hell yeah lets get this party started_ **

(2:34)  **_speaking of parties_ **

(2:34)  **_plutoballs?_ **

(2:35) im going to kill kravitz

X

Wednesday- AM

(10:17) 

(10:17) u can wear this to ur cat mom group

(10:19) **Back at work, then?**

(10:21) u know it. daddy’s here to get a paycheck

(10:22) **I won’t say it.**

(10:24) dont worry, ur still the real daddy

(10:25) **That’s why I didn’t say it.**

(10:27) when do u leave to visit gma?

(10:28) **Saturday.**

(10:29) fun

(10:30) **When’s the party?**

(10:31) saturday too

(10:33) **Ah. Costume?**

(10:34) i think im just gonna wear that one princess leia bikini thing and pretend i thought it was a star wars party

(10:36) **Where are you going to get that?**

(10:37) oh i already have it

(10:39) **...Of course you do.**

(10:41) i told u not to doubt me krav

(10:42) **My mistake.**

(10:43) yup

(10:44) fuckin hell someone just spilled an entire bowl of loose earrings

(10:45) ttyl i guess im fuckin damage control

(10:47) **Have fun.**

X

Wednesday- PM

(11:48) [Calling: death boy]

**“Hello?”**

“Hey, do you have any mortician tools that can scrape out my eyeballs?”

**“Unfortunately not.”**

“Fuck.”

**“What’s so egregious you’re resorting to violence?”**

“Oh, Mr. Smarty-pants is using his big words tonight! Magnus gave me his menu for the party. It’s written on orange construction paper and lists three separate kinds of sour cream dip.”

**“You have to admire his dedication.”**

“This is an insult, Kravitz. I’ve eaten at some of the most renowned fine dining institutions in the country, and now I’m cooking for a second grader’s school luncheon.”

**“Is… Magnus there with you?”**

“Yeah, he’s sitting next to me. Shut up, Magnus, I’m trying to have a fucking moment.”

**“I think you hurt his feelings.”**

“I don’t give a shit. Don’t look at me like that, Mango, I’m gonna do it, aren’t I?”

**“You’re so kind to your friends.”**

“Best fucking thing that ever happened to them, mate. Alright, Magnus, we need to talk about these canapés. Are they- aaaaand he’s gone.”

**“What?”**

“Garfield ran into the other room, and wherever the cat goes, Magnus follows. This is such an unprofessional workplace environment.”

**“Were you really a chef?”**

“Hell yeah, bubbeleh. What a fall from grace, huh?”

**“What… I mean…”**

“Are you trying to unlock my tragic backstory?”

**“Well.”**

“Kidding. I’m- fuck, I think Magnus is crying. What is it, you big baby?”

**“Is he alright?”**

“He’s fine, I think Garfield did something cute and he didn’t get a picture. Listen, let me fix this list up and get Magnus out of my house and then I’ll call you back. Is that alright?”

**“Sure.”**

“Cool beans. Talk to you in a bit, toots.”

[Call Ended]

X

Thursday- AM

(1:36) u still up?

(1:41) **Yes.**

[Calling: death boy]

“Good fuck Magnus is clingy.”

**“To you or Garfield?”**

“Both. I just got him to leave. Actually, I called his fiancee to come pick him up and _make_ him leave.”

**“Shouldn’t you be getting to sleep? You have to go in early to work tomorrow.”**

“Yeah, but I’m a rulebreaker. Plus, I just poured myself a tall glass of wine, and I promised a very handsome guy my life story.”

**“You don’t know about the handsome part.”**

“Yes, I do. One: that voice? Gotta be attached to a hot bod. Two: Sloane and Hurley were very flattering of you, my man.”

**“Oh.”**

“Mhm. So, Mr. Handsome. What do you want to know?”

**“When did you meet Magnus and Merle?”**

“I… ha. Thought you were going to ask about something more tragic.”

**“You’re not all tragedy, Taako.”**

“Where’s the drama in that? Fine, if you want a boring story- we met in a bar fight.”

**“A- what?”**

“In college. I was but a wee freshman, Mags was a sophomore, and Merle had just come back to school after a nasty divorce. Some guy got a little too close to me, and Magnus punched him to defend me- sweet boy, but I can take care of myself- and it started this big ass fight. Me, Magnus, and Merle teamed up, and we’ve kind of stuck together ever since.”

**“Wow. Did you win?”**

“The fight?”

**“Yes.”**

“Hell no. That was Merle’s first broken arm.”

**“Ouch.”**

“He got better.”

**“Did he?”**

“...No. So, what about you? How’d you meet Sloane and Hurley?”

**“Roller derby.”**

“No shit.”

**“I started reffing in college, and they were on the local team, and we just kind of- started talking from there.”**

“You said you don’t ref anymore.”

**“No. I got too busy for it after I took over the funeral home.”**

“That’s a shame.”

**“Yeah.”**

“You gave up music and roller derby in one go?”

**“I… yeah. I guess so.”**

“That must have been hard.”

**“It’s alright. I’m… tell me about your sister.”**

“Oh, Lup? She’s great. Don’t tell her I said that.”

**“I won’t.”**

“She’s a lawyer. Corporate, likes taking down big ass companies that are mistreating employees and breaking environmental regulations and all that shit. I dunno, I don’t get half the stuff she does, but she likes it. And she’s fucking great at it.”

**“She sounds wonderful.”**

“She is. She’s… my best friend. Probably the most important person in my life, or whatever.”

**“You guys are twins?”**

“Yup. I’m the hot one.”

**“I’m sure you are.”**

“Okay, I’m definitely telling her you said that.”

**“Snitch.”**

“Hell yeah. Uh… Krav.”

**“Yes?”**

“I promised I’d tell you about- you know. The reason I didn’t…”

**“You don’t have to, Taako.”**

“No, I want to. I mean- you said that it helps to talk about things, didn’t you?”

**“Yes, but…”**

“I think I want to talk. If that’s alright?”

**“Of course it is.”**

“Okay. Cool. Uh… okay. Well, Mags, Merle, and I moved in together in college. By the time I graduated I’d worked in a few restaurants and was getting pretty fucking good at the whole cooking thing, if I do say so myself. I even started teaching classes at the local community center. Doing demonstrations and all that shit, you know?”

**“Yeah.”**

“Right. So, uh- this guy, he- this guy came to one of my classes. I could tell he was watching me, like- not watching my cooking, he was watching _me_ , and he liked… something. And I thought he was cute, so when he came up to me afterwards and asked me out for coffee, I said yes. I- are you still there?”

**“Of course.”**

“Good. I mean- sorry. Um-”

**“Taako, you don’t-”**

“We started dating really quickly after that, and it was… it was good. Fuck, it was good. He was so nice, and handsome, and all my friends liked him. He even started helping me out with my classes, and it just- it was like I’d found the one, you know?”

**“Hm.”**

“Then he started getting- um. He’d always had a temper. I knew that, I knew that he got jealous, but I liked it at first, because I thought it meant- I thought it meant he cared. But then he started getting angry at _me_. Little things, just… words, yelling. Lup tried to grill me about it and I told her to fuck off. She didn’t talk to me for a month.”

**“That doesn’t sound like her.”**

“Yeah, well, I was kind of an ass. To everyone. Literally everyone was telling me that this guy was bad news, but I thought he was the best thing that had ever happened to me, so I just- ignored it. Then he started hitting me-”

**“Taako.”**

“Listen, bubbeleh, I’m on a roll. You can’t stop me now.”

**“...Okay.”**

“Okay, so now he’s getting physical, and my friends are asking me about it, and I’m telling all of them to piss off, and it was just- it was bad. Then he asked me to move with him.”

**“Move?”**

“To Chicago. He wanted to help me expand my classes. Get me a venue of my own, set up a show. The works. He had some money stored away and he was totally willing to use it.”

**“And you…”**

“I went with him.”

**“Oh, Taako.”**

“Yeah. Stupid, huh? I- hang on a sec, I need more wine.”

**“Are you alright?”**

“Hm? Oh, yeah. I’m just- ah, fuck, I’m grabbing the bottle. Okay- where was I?”

**“Chicago.”**

“Chicago! Yeah. So we move into this shitty apartment because we’re putting all of our money into this show, or whatever it was, and he uses his savings to rent out a tiny little spot. And then we just started building up this little empire from the ground up. And fuck if it didn’t work. For a time I was the star of Chicago.”

**“How long were you there?”**

“Almost a year. I didn’t speak to my sister or Mags or Merle the whole time.”

**“What?”**

“He said- he told me they were bad-mouthing him to try and hold me back. I didn’t really think that, but he was- persuasive. And it was easier to forget about what kind of guy he was when I didn’t have people pointing it out.”

**“I’m sorry. You just- didn’t speak to them?”**

“Nope. Blocked all their numbers and tried to forget they existed. I’m a fucking asshole, aren’t I?”

**“Taako. No.”**

“Eh, wait for the rest of the story. So almost a year goes by, and it’s- bad. I mean, it’s great. It should have been the best time of my life career-wise. But I was alone in a crap apartment with a guy who… didn’t know how to take no for an answer. And this whole time I’m thinking that I’m happy, that I _will_ be happy if I could just do better. Be better. But then he started trying to get more of a role in the classes, the shows. That was the only part of my life I had completely to myself- the only time I was alone was onstage, and I- I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let him. I couldn’t-”

**“Taako, you don’t have to-”**

“Yes, I fucking do. If I don’t say this all in one go it’s not going to fucking come out, so just shut up and let me talk, alright?”

**“...Alright.”**

“So he’s trying to get onstage, and I’m making up all these excuses, and we’re getting more and more popular but everything was getting worse, and then one night, I- I was-”

**“Yes?”**

“I was doing one of my demonstrations. Shows. My famous ‘Thirty Garlic Clove Chicken.’ And I normally tasted the food, but I didn’t because I was feeling nauseous and I didn’t want to like, vomit all over the stage, right? So I handed out the samples without tasting them, and while I’m standing there waiting for reactions, people start-”

**“...Taako?”**

“Sorry. Ha. I’m out of wine.”

**“Are you alright?”**

“Ha. No. He fucking- he fucking poisoned them, Krav. I mean, he meant to poison me, but I didn’t taste it.”

**“He…”**

“Slipped arsenic into the ingredients. He meant it for me, but instead- four people ate it before we realized something was wrong. Four people-”

**“Oh my god.”**

“Yeah. So he’s- that’s why he’s in jail.”

**“He tried to kill you?”**

“I think he thought if I was gone, he would just be able to take over my cooking demonstrations. Fucking idiot, he didn’t have the showmanship for it anyways.”

**“Taako, that’s… horrible.”**

“Yeah. I got back into contact with Lup when all the legal stuff started happening. Luckily she- took me back.”

**“Taako, of course she did.”**

“Mags and Merle too. God, I thought they would never speak to me again. Magnus- Magnus and Jules got engaged in the time I was gone. My best friends got engaged and I wasn’t there to see it.”

**“That’s not your fault.”**

“Isn’t it?”

**“Taako-”**

“So, yeah, that was… almost two years ago, now, soon. And I haven’t… I haven’t like. Seen anyone since then. Or really talked to anyone outside of, you know, my friends. I didn’t- fuck, it took me a year before I was actually able to hold down a job. Luckily Merle let me move into his place, and Lup and Barry kind of took care of me until I was, like, stable, so- yeah. That’s why I kind of… freaked out last Saturday.”

**“Because I…”**

“Because you’re nice, Kravitz, and he was nice too, and four people ended up dead because of that.”

**“Oh.”**

“Not that- fuck. Not that you’re like-”

**“No, I know. It’s… hard.”**

“Yeah.”

**“Uh… wow.”**

“Yeah. Yeah, shit, that was probably a lot, wasn’t it? I- if you don’t want to, like, keep talking to me, I totally understand.”

**“No, I- why wouldn’t I want to keep talking to you?”**

“Uh, because I’m the human equivalent of a mountain of emotional baggage?”

**“Taako.”**

“No, we’re talking, like, a dump truck of baggage here, bud. A landfill of baggage.”

**“I don’t care about that.”**

“You- what?”

**“I mean- I care. I- Taako, I’m so sorry that happened to you.”**

“It’s fine, bubbeleh.”

**“No it’s fucking not!”**

“...you swore.”

**“Yes, I did. Taako, you didn’t deserve that. You know that, right?”**

“I…”

**“And it wasn’t your fault.”**

“I fed them their deaths, Krav.”

 **“No.** **_He_ ** **killed them, Taako. And he would have killed you, too, if… God, Taako. He tried to kill you.”**

“He didn’t, though.”

**“Yes, and I am… so fucking glad.”**

“...you are?”

**“Taako. Are you alright?”**

“Yeah, I’m- sorry, I had, like, an entire bottle of wine. I’m kind of out of it right now.”

**“Do you want to go to bed?”**

“No. I- don’t sleep very well. I want-”

**“Yes?”**

“...I really like you, Kravitz.”

**“I- oh.”**

“I know that’s probably, like. Really weird. Because we haven’t actually met. But you- I like you a lot. And it’s kind of freaking me out, my dude.”

**“I understand.”**

“Yeah?”

**“Yes. I- like you a lot, as well. Quite a lot, actually.”**

“Ha. Oh.”

**“Is that alright?”**

“Ha, hell yeah, my dude. That’s- okay. I’m kind of worried about your sanity, I’m not gonna lie, but I can work with this.”

**“Yeah?”**

“I think I’d like to- I mean, if you still want-”

**“I still want to meet you, Taako.”**

“Yeah? I mean- obviously, but-”

**“Only if you think you’re ready.”**

“I do. I think- fuck, I think you were right again. Talking helps.”

**“I told you so.”**

“Shut up.”

**“Taako, thank you for telling me this. You didn’t have to.”**

“Yeah I did, stud. You need to know what you’re getting yourself into.”

**“I suppose.”**

“And you’re sure you’re not… I don’t know. Freaked out?”

**“I mean- yes, a little. Not by you, though. Mostly I just want to get my hands on that guy.”**

“Sazed.”

**“What- oh.”**

“Thank you, Kravitz.”

**“Of course.”**

“I think I’m going to go lie down.”

**“Alright. Goodnight.”**

“Wait, I-”

**“What?”**

“Nevermind.”

**“No, what?”**

“Could you- could you stay on the line? Just until-”

**“Yes, I can.”**

“Oh. Thank you.”

**“Mhm.”**

“...”

**“...”**

“I’m not going to lie. I’m trying really hard not to make a joke about my dick.”

**“Why on earth would you make a joke about your dick?”**

“Break the tension?”

**“You’re unbelievable.”**

“What? It isn’t hard. Oh, wait- yes it is.”

**“Go to sleep.”**

“Ugh. If you insist.”

**“Hm.”**

“...”

**“...”**

“Goodnight.”

**“Goodnight, Taako.”**

(4:12) **[Call Ended]**

X

Friday- AM

(9:42) _hey taako do u want me to order a cake for the party?_

(9:48) im sorry

(9:49) did u just say that to my face

(9:51) _okay, so you’re making it?_

(9:53) dont insult me, of course i am

(9:54) _merle wants chocolate_

(9:56) basic. fine

(9:57) _yayyyy is kravitz gonna come?_

(9:59) no, hes out of town this weekend

(10:00) _aw :(_

(10:01) _are you guys still gonna meet?_

(10:03) i think so. if i dont fuck it up again

(10:05) _you didn’t fuck it up, taako_

(10:06) nearly did, tho

(10:07) _hey. you’re my best friend, you know that?_

(10:09) gay

(10:10) _im being serious_

(10:11) i know

(10:12) _im really proud of you, taako_

(10:13) aw, magnus

(10:14) that’s really gay

(10:15) _you would know_

(10:16) ok, now we’re homophobic i guess

(10:17) _no im not!!! you ARE gay!!!_

(10:18) im kidding, mags

(10:19) thank u

(10:20) _welcome_

(10:22) _oh i really wanna call the punch ‘asteroid ale’ and also put dried ice in it can i do that_

(10:23) ughhhhh thats so tacky

(10:23) fine

(10:24) _I LOVE U THANK U_

(10:25) love u too dumbass

X

Friday- PM

(1:02) 

(1:02) is this a good ‘glad ur arm isnt fucking broken anymore’ shirt

(1:04) **I’d say so.**

(1:05) sweet merle is gonna love it

(1:06) hows ur day hot stuff

(1:08) **Arduous.**

(1:09) u make my heart flutter when u use smart people words

(1:10) **I know.**

(1:11) OO thats not the only thing that just fluttered

(1:12) **Taako**

(1:13) too much?

(1:14) **Not at work.**

(1:15) noted

(1:15) lotta dead people?

(1:16) **A lot of paperwork.**

(1:17) is it

(1:17) killing u

(1:18) **You sound like my mother.**

(1:20) yeah, im done fluttering now

(1:21) **Good.**

(1:22) ugh buzzkill

(1:22) have fun w work boo boooo

(1:23) **I’m sure I won’t.**

X

Friday- PM

(6:28) lup

(6:32) LUP

(6:33) get ur fuckin boy’s ass over here he promised to help me make the hor d’oeuvres

(6:35) BAROLD CAN U FUCKING HEAR ME GET UR BUTT OVER HERE

(6:38)  **_taako stop we were busy_ **

(6:39) HEY

(6:40) TMI

(6:40) I DONT NEED TO FUCKING HEAR YOU WERE BONING

(6:42)  **_WELL WHY DIDNT YOU STOP TEXTING_ **

(6:43) IM SORRY I DIDNT KNOW YOU WERE B O N I N G

(6:44)  **_you ruined it anyway. barry started laughing and fell out of bed_ **

(6:45) serves him right he should be elbow deep in appetizers rn

(6:46)  **_he likes to tell me im the appetizer_ **

(6:47) LUP IM GOING TO GO RINSE MY EYES OUT WITH SOAP

(6:48)  **_serves u right_ **

(6:49) **_ we’ll be over in a few _ **

(6:52) you’re lucky i need a sous chef

X

Friday- PM

(6:48) lup just told me she and barold were doing the do and i didnt like it :(

(6:50) **_Now you know how I feel every time you keep me up with your phone calls to Kravitz_ **

(6:52) im making u a lemon cake now lil man

(6:53) **_Wait no I want chocolate_ **

(6:55) **_Taako_ **

(6:59) **_Taakooooooo_ **

X

Saturday- AM

(7:39) what time r u leaving today

(7:52) **Not until noon.**

(7:53) **You’re up early.**

(7:58) its meal prep time m’dude

(7:59) early start, best quality

(8:02) **You’re taking the party seriously, then?**

(8:05) as seriously as i can take plutoballs

(8:06) magnus invited a fuck load of ppl, my reputation is on the line

(8:08) **I’m disappointed I’m missing it.**

(8:09) me 2 tbh

(8:10) even if im gonna b wearing a stupid costume

(8:12) **Princess Leia?**

(8:15) magnus vetoed it so i have an alternate shitty moon costume

(8:16) i might just wear the bikini to fuck w him tho

(8:18) **Forgive me for wishing you do.**

(8:19) fuckin hell krav its eight in the morning

(8:20) when do u come back?

(8:23) **Tuesday**

(8:24) oh

(8:26) **Why?**

(8:27) i mean

(8:28) idk ur gonna be gone for awhile

(8:30) **Taako, we don’t… see each other. In person, I mean.**

(8:32) i want to

(8:34) **When I get back?**

(8:35) if u want

(8:37) **I do.**

(8:38) ok

(8:39) my heart already aches in ur absence

(8:40) **Mhm.**

(8:41) not just my heart ;)

(8:42) **There it is.**

(8:44) hehehe

(8:45) ok i made barold come early and hes yelling at me bc im not doing anything

(8:45) safe travels dude

(8:46) **Have fun.**

X

Saturday- PM

(8:58) [Calling: death boy]

**“Hello?”**

“There are like. Seven moons here. This is a fucking catastrophe.”

**“Are you not wearing the bikini?”**

“No, I decided to be a good boy and it didn’t fucking work. I hate matching with people, I look stupid.”

**“Can you change?”**

“Fat chance. I- shut the fuck up, Lup, I’m busy. I- fuck off!”

**“Sounds loud over there.”**

“Yeah, it was supposed to be super lowkey but apparently every fucking person in the world decided to come. I swear to- Merle, get off the couch!”

**“You sound like a mother.”**

“I feel like a mother! Shit. Did you get to your grandma’s? Fuck off, Lup, this is a private conversation.”

**“Yes. She made a casserole.”**

“Classic grandma.”

**“Ha. Yeah.”**

“I wish you were here.”

**“Have you already been drinking?”**

“Yes, but I still wish you were here.”

**“Me too.”**

“Yeah?”

**“Yes.”**

“Ha. I’m- okay, Merle, I swear to god if you don’t get away from the fucking couch I’m gonna- okay, he’s off.”

**“Is his cast off?”**

“Yeah, but he’s still supposed to be careful. The doctor said if he breaks his arm again it’s gonna fuck him up permanently. Fuck him up more, I mean.”

**“Naturally.”**

“Of course. And- fucking hell, Barold’s the moon too? Barold, we can’t both be the moon!”

**“Barold knows some colorful language.”**

“I taught him everything he knows. What are you doing?”

**“I was just reading.”**

“Oh, you’re smart. Anything good?”

**“Taako, you’re at a party. Do you really want to discuss my reading choices?”**

“It’s either this or watch Merle try to crowdsurf. I’m begging you to discuss your reading choices.”

**“Ha. I-”**

“Magnus, leave- Garfield doesn’t want a hug, Magnus! Go eat a fucking hor d’oeuvre. I’m sorry, Krav, this is a fucking mess.”

**“Sounds like it.”**

“You sure you can’t ditch grandma and come save me?”

**“Unfortunately not.”**

“Bummer. Alright, I- Merle! Fuck, he’s down. I gotta go. Have fun reading, handsome.”

**“Thanks. Good luck with… all of that.”**

“Ugh. Thanks. Buh bye.”

**“Goodbye.”**

[Call Ended]

X

Sunday- AM

(8:34) **_Taako_ **

(8:35) **_I think I sprained my wrist last night_ **

(9:02) of fucking course u did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was a heavy one.  
> Thank you all for the lovely comments, as always. Hope you enjoyed this slightly angstier chapter, and I hope you all have a lovely day/night.


	6. Chapter 6

Texting Styles:

Taako

**Kravitz**

_ Magnus _

**_Merle_ **

**_Lup_ **

Sloane

Sunday- AM

(10:28) im never allowing other ppl into my home ever again

(10:30) someone shoved a piece of cake down our toilet

(10:34) hi what the FUCK

(11:02)  **Someone put cake in your toilet?**

(11:12) good morning sleeping beauty

(11:13) glad u got here after all the trauma

(11:14)  **Did you get it out??**

(11:15) thats what she said

(11:16) and yes

(11:16) no

(11:17) i woke merle up to get it

(11:19)  **Taako.**

(11:21) what?? it was his party and he doesnt have a cast anymore he can pull his weight

(11:23)  **Was the rest of the party alright?**

(11:26) i had to stop killian from punching a hole in our wall to prove how much she loved her gf but other than that it was entirely gucci

(11:27) how is grandmama

(11:29)  **Already complaining about the way my mother cooks her eggs.**

(11:30) oh grandmama

(11:32)  **Oh grandmama indeed. We’re going to take her shopping today to try and appease her.**

(11:33) shopping!!! fun fun where r u going

(11:36)  **Kohl’s?**

(11:37) fucking travesty at least take her to tj max

(11:39)  **Grandmother has a very specific fashion taste.**

(11:42) fuck

(11:43) me too grandma

(11:45)  **What are you doing today?**

(11:47) recovering

(11:48)  **Fair.**

(11:49) im making breakfast 4 everyone right now

(11:49) pancakes

(11:51)  **Who’s still there?**

(11:53) ummm good question lets see

(11:54) ok lup n barold r still in my room. i passed out w them last night

(11:56) oh jules n magnus took merle’s room

(11:57) i found merle in the bathtub this morning

(11:58) i think thats everyone? idk i’ll make extra pancakes in case anyone’s hiding in the walls or something

(12:00)  **How kind of you.**

(12:02) its hard being a saint

(12:03) good morning barold, glad ur still wearing ur shitty moon costume

(12:04)  **What was his moon costume?**

(12:05) he glued some cotton balls to a t-shirt

(12:06) no fuckin creativity

(12:07)  **I’m hopeful yours was more elegant than that.**

(12:08) im telling barold u think he’s unelegant

(12:09)  **That’s not what I said!**

(12:11) “That’s… not very nice, but okay.”

(12:12)  **I’m sorry, Barold. I wasn’t aware Taako would be communicating that to you in such a rude manner.**

(12:14) “Whatever. Can I eat this?”

(12:15) sure, barold. they’re still piping hot but go for it

(12:15) ha he burned himself

(12:17)  **I feel bad for Barold.**

(12:18) im telling him that

(12:19)  **Taako!**

(12:20) ok ok fine

(12:20) hes not gonna talk to me until hes had coffee anyways

(12:21) oh hello lup. do u want a- and theyre making out

(12:22)  **They’re quick.**

(12:23) dont i fucking know it 

(12:24) ok everyones getting up and barold already ate all the pancakes

(12:24) i’ll ttyl

(12:25)  **Best of luck.**

X

Sunday- PM

(3:02) quick how do u cheat in uno

(3:13)  **I’m not sure I have that information for you.**

(3:17) ive been putting down two cards every turn

(3:18) lets see how long it takes for someone to catch on

(3:20)  **Having fun?**

(3:21) im winning so ya

(3:21) hows gram gram 

(3:24)  **She’s been asking me why I haven’t given her grandchildren yet for the last twenty minutes.**

(3:25) well why havent u

(3:27)  **I have them pre-ordered.**

(3:28) smart, they were sold out online when i tried to get one. now im gonna have to wait in line when they hit the stores

(3:30)  **Bring a tent, I heard the lines get long.**

(3:31) ugh. as if i would ever camp.

(3:33)  **You don’t like roughing it?**

(3:34) ;)

(3:35)  **Goodbye.**

(3:36) aw man

X

Monday- AM

(9:27) u know what blows?

(9:27) capitalism

(9:29)  **How’s work?**

(9:30) it blows

(9:31) im just another fucking cog in the machine krav

(9:33)  **Someone is dramatic this morning.**

(9:35) im dramatic ??? every morning ?????

(9:36)  **That’s true.**

(9:38) whats the plan for today?

(9:39)  **Shopping.**

(9:41) more clothes??

(9:43)  **Furniture. Grandmother needs a new end table.**

(9:44)  **I think she invited us over so that we could drive her around places.**

(9:47) i mean same

(9:48)  **Fair.**

(9:50) u come back tomorrow?

(9:51)  **Yes.**

(9:53) ok

(9:54) so 

(9:54) do u wanna maybe… get together?

(9:55) fuck idk how to say it lmao

(9:56)  **When?**

(9:57) as soon as possible

(9:59)  **I’m free Wednesday.**

(10:01) oh thats

(10:01) soon

(10:02) that works tho

(10:04)  **Okay.**

(10:05) yeah

(10:06) what do u want to do?

(10:08)  **Perhaps not dinner this time.**

(10:08) right

(10:08) yeah sorry um

(10:09) theres this new place that just opened downtown? its one of those pottery and wine places

(10:11)  **Pottery and wine?**

(10:12) ya. make a pot, drink some wine

(10:13)  **What’s it called?**

(10:15) chug n squeeze :) 

(10:18)  **That’s… awful.**

(10:19) rlly? i like it

(10:20)  **Of course you do.**

(10:21)  **That sounds lovely.**

(10:23) really! okay cool

(10:23) cool cool cool

(10:25)  **Are you alright?**

(10:26) no ya

(10:26) a little nervous ngl but

(10:29)  **Taako, if you don’t think you’re ready…**

(10:30) no

(10:30) no im ready

(10:31) i really want to meet you, krav. i swear i’ll be there.

(10:32)  **Okay. I trust you.**

(10:37) really

(10:38)  **Yes.**

(10:39) huh

(10:40) thank you

(10:41) ok go have fun w gma stud

(10:42)  **I’ll try.**

X

Monday- PM

(2:58) im meeting him on wed

(3:04)  **_taako, that’s great_ **

(3:06) haha

(3:06) yeah

(3:09)  **_do you think you’ll be alright?_ **

(3:10) i think so

(3:11) im gonna go. no way im disappointing him again

(3:12)  **_ugh im such a proud older sister_ **

(3:13) lup im literally gonna kick ur fucking ass

(3:15)  **_i’d like to see u fucking try_ **

(3:18) im gonna tell barold u thought his moon costume was tacky

(3:19)  **_lmao okay i told him that to his face_ **

(3:20)  **_and then i told him tacky is hot_ **

(3:21) groooooossssss this is so unfair u guys r too open

(3:22)  **_no you’re just losing your touch_ **

(3:25) shut up doofus

(3:26)  **_pitiful_ **

(3:28) fuck off

X

Tuesday- AM

**Group Chat: Tres Horny Boyssss**

(11:38)  **_Do you guys think I should download tinder_ **

(11:42) i think you’re more of a grindr type, m’dude

(11:45)  **_Is there a difference_ **

(11:47) mmmmmmno

(11:48)  **_Okay cool_ **

(11:50)  _ are u getting back in the dating pool merle  _

(11:52)  **_Well since everyone is doing it_ **

(11:53) ugh

(11:53) merle, krav and i arent dating

(11:55)  _ youre not? _

(11:56) not officially

(11:57)  **_Not yet_ **

(11:58) yeah not yet

(11:59)  _ you want to ask him out then???  _

(12:01) i mean. after we meet irl probably

(12:02)  _ TAAKO _

(12:03)  _ IM SO HAPPY FOR U _

(12:04) pls dear god stop yelling

(12:05)  _ IM GONNA HAVE SUCH A COOL BROTHER IN LAW _

(12:06) my eardrums are shattering

(12:07)  **_You can hear him over text?_ **

(12:09) yeah merle. get w technology

(12:10)  **_Huh_ **

(12:11)  _ youre meeting him tomorrow???? _

(12:12) ya

(12:13)  **_And you’re going to go?_ **

(12:14)  _ merle!  _

(12:15) no thats fair

(12:15) yes i am

(12:16)  **_Good_ **

(12:17)  _ IM SO HAPPY _

(12:18) ya ya ya i get it

(12:19) everyone wants me 2 get hitched

(12:20)  **_No we’re just hoping you’ll be less annoying if you get laid_ **

(12:21) jackass

(12:22) just for that im not helping u make ur grindr profile

(12:23)  **_No wait_ **

X

Tuesday- PM 

(2:39)  **My grandmother gave us each a bag of cookies for the road.**

(2:42) what kind?

(2:43)  **Oatmeal raisin.**

(2:45) fuking travesty

(2:46)  **They’re my favorite.**

(2:48) krav u r the worst kind of person

(2:49) good thing ur cute

(2:51)  **You don’t know that.**

(2:52) i will tomorrow

(2:53) do u still want to do that?

(2:55)  **Yes.**

(2:56)  **Do you?**

(2:58) hell yes

(2:58) as long as u dont bring oatmeal raisin cookies

(3:00)  **Hm. I’ll have to reconsider then.**

(3:01) no u cant no take backs

(3:02)  **If you insist.**

(3:03) i do

(3:04)  **Alright, then.**

(3:05)  **I should be going. I’m driving.**

(3:06) ok be safe

(3:06) enjoy ur crusty grape cookies

(3:07)  **I will. Every bite.**

(3:08) disgusting

X

Wednesday- AM

(6:03)  _ HAPPY KRAVITZ DAY _

(6:05) magnus

(6:05) magnus wtf

(6:06) u woke me up

(6:07)  _ i wanted to wish u good luck!!!!!! :D <3<3 _

(6:08) magnus im not seeing him until tonight

(6:09)  _ i wanted to be the first tho _

(6:10) well u fucking are

(6:11) im going back to bed

(6:12)  _ goodnight!!! :) <3 _

(6:13) fucking hell

X

Wednesday- AM

(8:38) i made us a reservation at six

(8:38) if that works?

(8:42)  **That should be fine.**

(8:43) awesome

(8:44) dope

(8:44) thats groovy man

(8:45) totally bodacious

(8:46)  **You’re rambling.**

(8:47) i know no need to call me out my dude

(8:48)  **It’ll be fine, Taako.**

(8:49) i know that

(8:50) im fine

(8:50) r u fine?

(8:51)  **I’m nervous. But excited.**

(8:52) cool me too

(8:53) ok i need to get to work

(8:54)  **Alright. I’ll see you later.**

(8:55) ha. yeah. Ok

X

Wednesday- PM

(4:37)  so

(4:39)  **Yes?**

(4:41)  abt an hour now

(4:42)  **Yes.**

(4:45)  you think he’ll be there?

(4:46)  **I hope so.**

(4:47)  alright

(4:47)  have fun, krav

(4:49)  **Thank you.**

X

Wednesday- PM

(5:04) im gonna throw up

(5:06)  **_taako, it’ll be fine. you know him._ **

(5:07) yeah but what if he hates me

(5:08)  **_why would he hate you????_ **

(5:09) im kind of fucked up lup

(5:10)  **_so am i. barry doesnt care_ **

(5:11) its different and u know it. 

(5:12)  **_listen taako. I understand why you’re nervous. But kravitz seems to really care about you._ **

(5:14) yeah but

(5:15)  **_no_ **

(5:16)  **_you deserve to be happy, taako._ **

(5:19) sap

(5:20) ok

(5:20) fuck

(5:21)  **_you’re going to be okay._ **

(5:24) i know

(5:25) thank u lup

(5:27)  **_l ove u bro bro_ **

X

Wednesday- PM

It was drizzling outside.

Kravitz gripped the handle of his umbrella tightly, listening to the soles of his shoes splash against the steadily forming puddles on the sidewalk. He walked carefully, mindful of his trousers. It wouldn’t do to turn up covered in mud.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. His hand dropped to it immediately, pulling it out with a movement that had become practiced in the last few months, almost subconscious. He glanced at the screen, and couldn’t help but be disappointed when he saw it was just Hurley wishing him luck.

A car drove past him and kicked up a spray of water. Kravitz ducked his head lower, listening to the rain on the dark fabric of his umbrella. He was grateful that he had worn his thicker trench coat, the one made of deep black wool. It blocked out most of the chill, but Kravitz could still feel it biting at his exposed face and hands. 

It was several minutes past six now. Kravitz had already gotten lost, his normally impeccable navigation skills thrown off by his nerves. He couldn’t recall a time when he had been as anxious as he felt now. He had been jittery all day, so much so that he had been forced to go home early from work after he had dropped an entire file of loose papers and lost several important receipts. What was worse was he couldn’t even bring himself to care very much.

Kravitz turned the corner and felt his footsteps slow automatically. It was- yes, there it was, the orange awning he had seen in pictures when he had looked up the address online. The Chug N’ Squeeze was a tiny establishment sandwiched between two much larger restaurants. The windows were lit in a way that permeated out onto the dreary street, beckoning Kravitz toward its warmth.

Despite the draw, Kravitz ground to a halt several feet away. He couldn’t see in the window yet. He could hardly make out the shop’s name stencilled on the door. 

Would Taako be there already? Would he- was he already in there? 

Kravitz felt his heartbeat picking up again. He switched his umbrella to the opposite hand and stared at the orange awning. His nerves felt wired in a way they never had before, as though a single spark could send him up in flames. This was almost worse than the first time he had waited for Taako, that awful night he had stood outside the restaurant for an hour in anticipation, because now he had invested too much. There was too much on the line. If Taako didn’t come-

Kravitz shook himself. He straightened his shoulders back and took a deep breath. Then, aware of the water gathering around the toes of his black boots, he moved forward until he could look in the window.

For such awful weather, the Chug N’ Squeeze seemed to be doing well. The tiny space was brightly lit and bustling with people. Shelves lined the walls, each one littered with finished pieces of pottery- vases, bowls, small sculptures of misshapen cats. From what Kravitz could see the pottery wheels were spread haphazardly throughout the space, all of them ringed with chairs and tiny tables.

Kravitz cast his eyes over the people inside. He let his gaze linger on each one, on the small group of women giggling over their vases, clay splattering their skin up to their elbows, on the elderly couple working diligently near the window, and- 

Kravitz breath caught in his throat. In the far corner, set apart from everyone else, visibly alone- Kravitz would have recognized him anywhere.

He couldn’t see much through the rain-streaked window, just blonde hair and the outline of crossed legs. Without conscious thought Kravitz felt himself moving forward, dropping his umbrella and closing it swiftly, grasping the damp metal door handle and pulling. 

The Chug N’ Squeeze was warm as Kravitz stepped inside. He noted idly that there was a sign reading “Cab N’ Vase Night” set up purposefully in front of him, then felt his attention drawn back to the far corner. And, yes, that had to be him, Kravitz knew that it had to be Taako- his hair was tied back in an elegant braid that trailed over his shoulder, and his shoulders were hunched as he stared down at his phone. Kravitz couldn’t see his face well, but he could read the frown painted across it from here. He held a half-empty glass of red wine with one hand, balanced neatly against his knee as he scrolled through his phone.

Kravitz reached up and touched his hair, his collar, the top button of his shirt. He switched his closed umbrella to the other hand, took a deep breath, and walked forward. 

Taako didn’t look up as Kravitz approached. Kravitz licked his lips, braced himself, and said- “Am I late?”

Taako’s head shot up. He swiveled in his seat to meet Kravitz’s gaze, and-

Shit. Kravitz just about melted into the floor.

“Kravitz,” Taako said, his voice breathy but familiar. He stood, wine glass tilting dangerously. His eyes, deep, clear green, rimmed with gold eyeshadow that shimmered when he blinked, were wide. “I- no, it’s fine. I- sit?”

Despite his nerves, Kravitz felt himself smiling. He stripped off his coat and folded it neatly, aware that Taako was watching him closely. Then they sat together, side by side in front of two empty pottery wheels. 

Taako’s wine glass clinked against the table when he put it down. There was a line of pale pink lipstick on the rim. Kravitz stared at it for a moment, until Taako cleared his throat and drew Kravitz’s attention back to his face. 

“I, uh.” Taako ducked his head, and a piece of hair fell across his eyes. Kravitz’s hand twitched, and he wished fervently to tuck it back behind his ear. “I thought you might not come.”

“I’m sorry,” Kravitz said, but Taako was already shaking his head. 

“It’s fine,” he said. “You’re here now.”

He smiled at Kravitz, the expression shyer and more uncertain than Kravitz would have expected from him. Kravitz smiled back, feeling the warmth of the shop leaking into his chest until he thought he was going to burst. 

“You, uh,” Kravitz said, after they had been staring at each other in silence for several moments. “You look- you look fantastic.”

Taako dipped his chin again, smile widening into something cheekier. Kravitz noted with a thrill that he had dimples.

“What, this old thing?” Taako smoothed down his dress. It was gauzy, lavender with a sharp slit running up his leg. Kravitz could see a glimmer of pale skin there and hurriedly shifted his gaze from it. “You know, you don’t look too bad yourself, stud.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah,” Taako said. “I’m digging the all-black monochrome look.”

Kravitz pulled at the hem of his black button down, and Taako’s grin widened.

“Everyone here?” They both looked up at the burly man approaching them, who was wearing a thick apron covered in dry clay. He was holding two lumps of shapeless white clay and looked incredibly bored with them already. “Here you go.”

He slapped the clay down on their wheels with a force Kravitz hadn’t expected, grunted once, then walked away.

“Well,  _ he’s _ not getting five stars on Yelp,” Taako said, eyeing the man’s back as he walked away. He flicked his braid back over his shoulder, out of his face, and raised a sharp eyebrow at Kravitz. “Care for a drink?”

“Please,” Kravitz said, suddenly desperate for  _ something  _ to take the edge off of his nerves.

Taako filled the empty glass on the table from the bottle nestled there and held it out. “You lied to me, you know,” he said conversationally as Kravitz accepted it.

Kravitz raised his eyebrows, pressing the glass to his lips. The wine smelled strong and heady. Sweet. “About what?” he asked, taking a sip.

“You  _ are _ hot,” Taako said, then let a delighted laugh when Kravitz choked on his wine. 

Kravitz coughed and set his drink down on the table, eyes burning. He blinked and turned a frown on Taako, who pressed a hand over his mouth and giggled. “Taako.”

“Oh, it’s nice to have a face attached to that disapproval. Should we fire these babies up?”

Taako, it seemed, already knew how to work the pottery wheel. He showed Kravitz the pedal to push to speed it up, and demonstrated how to shape the clay into a perfect circle in the center.

“My nails are going to be fucked,” he said, not looking particularly worried as he pressed his thumb to the top of the clay. Kravitz watched as the hole grew, widening until Taako had a pseudo-bowl sitting in front of him. 

Kravitz tried to concentrate on his own clay, on the small talk, but he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off of Taako for more than a few seconds at a time. He had spent so long imagining what the man would look like, had taken Sloane and Hurley’s descriptions and his own fantasies and weaved it into his own image of Taako, but everything he had imagined paled in comparison to the real person. Taako was slight and sharp-looking, with angular features and elbows that bowed outwards as he crouched over his clay. His dress was made of a material thin enough at his shoulders that Kravitz could see a smattering of freckles there trailing down his arms and up the back of his neck. 

“Watcha making, bubbeleh?” Taako asked, peeking over at the mess on Kravitz’s wheel. Kravitz tried not to focus on how the movement made the neckline of Taako’s dress slip down further.

“Uh,” he said. “I’m not quite sure yet. You?”

“I am making a bomb ass bowl,” Taako said, and yes, Kravitz could see it, the smooth slopes of the dish.

“Hey.” Kravitz blinked and looked up. The large worker from before was standing there, glaring down at them with a grumpy expression. “It’s vase day- Cab N’ Vase night! No bowls!”

“Oh,” Taako said. He fluttered his eyelashes and smiled politely up at the man. “I’m so sorry. I’ll reshape it.”

The man eyed Taako’s bowl for a moment longer, grunted, then turned and left. Kravitz watched him go with disbelief, then turned to see that Taako had already built his bowl up into a vase.

“Goodness,” Kravitz said. “A bit touchy here, aren’t they?”

Taako snorted. “You’re fucking telling me.” He turned his wheel back on and pressed the rim of his vase down until- somehow- it was a bowl again. “But I’m not gonna let them chain my fucking muse.”

Kravitz laughed, hands resting on the sides of his motionless pottery wheel. The clay was dry and chalky on his wrists, pale against his dark skin. “Have I told you I like your renegade spirit?”

“No. You should tell me that more often, though.” 

Kravitz’s pottery skills got no better as the night went on, but Taako helped him enough that by the end, he at least had something that was recognizable as a vase. They spent the evening chatting, their conversation at once stilting and comfortable, new and familiar. The topics they discussed were the same as they always had over text- Taako complained loudly about the algaea Merle had apparently been growing in the shower, his enthusiastic dismay coupled with flying hand gestures that more than once threatened the safety of their fragile pottery. Kravitz performed an impeccable impression of his grandmother, which sent Taako into such a fit of laughter he spilled half the bottle of wine on the floor. At one point, Taako placed his hands over Kravitz’s, his “Ghost” reference accompanied with a cheeky smile, and Kravitz startled so badly his vase almost slipped off the wheel.

“Shit,” Taako said, watching as Kravitz hurriedly righted his damp clay once more. “Your hands are really cold.”

“Sorry,” Kravitz murmured, feeling heat rise in his cheeks as he stared at his now lopsided vase.

“No.” So quickly Kravitz almost jumped again, Taako’s hand darted out and grasped Kravitz’s fingers. He brushed his thumb over Kravitz’s knuckles, his skin chalky with dried, white clay, and then released his hold once more and pulled his hand back to his own wheel. “It’s fine.”

When Kravitz looked up at him in surprise, Taako was very pointedly glaring at his wheel. His cheeks were pink beneath his freckles. 

That did funny things to Kravitz’s chest. 

When they had finished, the unpleasant worker took their pottery (shooting a disgruntled look at Taako’s bowl) and whisked them off to be fired. They washed their hands in the big sink off to the side of the room. Taako spent five minutes scraping clay out from under his long fingernails. 

“Like I said.” Taako held his hand out and cast a critical eye over his nails. “Completely fucked.” 

“Taako!” 

Kravitz recognized the two woman weaving their way through the room towards them. Killian, tall and broad-shouldered with a huge grin that showed off crooked teeth, and Carey at her elbow, small and stocky with eyes that seemed to gleam yellow in the shop’s lighting. 

“Hey, what’s up?” Taako turned, arm brushing against Kravitz’s and then staying there. “What are you guys doing here?” 

“It’s Cab N’ Vase night,” Killian said. “Couples night!”

Kravitz glanced at Taako. Taako winked at him, then turned back to the other two.

“I’d love to see what shitty pottery you guys made,” he said.

“Bet you would,” Carey said. She blinked up at Kravitz, a sly smile on her face. “Hiya, Kravitz. Fancy seeing you here.”

“It’s lovely to see you both again,” Kravitz said, still distantly distracted by Taako’s shoulder flush against his.

Killian dropped an arm around Carey’s shoulders, the movement easy and comfortable. She, too, was grinning. “We just wanted to pop over and say hi,” she said. “We’ll leave you guys to it.”

“About time,” Taako said. “See you guys tomorrow?”

“Is Magnus in charge of drinks?” Carey asked, sharp eyebrows raised. 

Taako shrugged. “He lost the bet.”

“Fuck,” Killian said. “Make sure he doesn’t bring that Snapple vodka stuff again.”

“Can’t promise it!” Taako said cheerfully. He raised his hand and waggled clay-coated nails at them. “Toodles.”

“Bye, Kravitz,” Carey said. Kravitz didn’t have a chance to say anything before they were both gone.

Taako touched Kravitz’s wrist, just barely brushing bare skin, and Kravitz’s stomach flipped. “Let’s go get our pots, huh?”

Their finished pottery was wrapped in tissue paper and presented to them in gift bags. The worker shot a glare at Taako as he thrust his yellow bag at him, grumbling something under his breath about bowls. 

Taako managed to make it outside before he burst out laughing.

“Fuck you too, sir,” he said, twirling once so that his dress flared out and his bag swung precariously. “Wasn’t he just marvelous?”

“Excellent customer service,” Kravitz said.

Taako beamed at him, dimples flashing. They were protected by the thin awning, but behind them, on the street, the rain was still pouring, a cacophony above and around them. Kravitz blinked and twisted the handle of his umbrella, uncertain of what to do now. God, it had been such a long time since he had been on… whatever this was.

“May I walk you home?” he blurted out. That was good, right? Taako didn’t seem like he even had a jacket, let alone an umbrella.

Taako’s smile faded somewhat, enough that Kravitz felt panic rising in him. After a moment, he asked, “Really?” 

Kravitz tightened his hold on the umbrella. Then he opened it, stepped towards Taako, and extended his arm.

Taako stared. Then- slowly, with a small grin- he took Kravitz’s elbow.

“Sap,” he said, but he looked pleased.

Taako pressed close to him as they walked. Kravitz told himself that it was just to ensure protection from the rain. They picked their way carefully through the puddles on the sidewalk, Taako groaning as his heels splashed through them. 

“What are you going to do with your vase?” Taako asked after they had been walking in silence for several minutes.

He was still holding tightly to the crook of Kravitz’s elbow, his other hand clutching his skirt to keep it lifted away from the water. “I don’t know,” Kravitz said. “Flowers?”

Taako sidestepped a puddle, hip brushing against Kravitz’s. “What kind?”

They turned a corner, heading down a familiar street. One of Kravitz’s old college friends had lived here once. “Daffodils.”

“Really?” Taako turned his face up to look at Kravitz, eyebrows raised. “Surprisingly cheerful choice, my dude.”

Kravitz shrugged. “What are you going to do with your bowl?”

“Probably fill it with tequila,” Taako said. Kravitz laughed. 

They stopped in front of a brick apartment building. Taako let go of Kravitz’s arm, but Kravitz didn’t have time to mourn his absence before Taako was touching his wrist again, turned to face him.

“I hope the pottery thing wasn’t lame,” he said.

“It wasn’t.”

“Cool,” Taako said. He brushed his thumb across Kravitz’s inner wrist, and Kravitz took a deep breath. “This was fun.”

“Yes.”

“It was, um.” Taako ducked his head, then reached up to brush his hair back behind his ear. “It was really good to finally, you know. Meet you.”

“Yes, uh. You too.”

Taako’s cheeks dimpled. He glanced over his shoulder at the apartment. “I would invite you in, but I’m pretty sure everyone I’ve ever known is waiting in there, and I don’t want to subject you to that.”

“That’s alright,” Kravitz said. “I’ll, um. I’ll text you?”

“Duh,” Taako said, turning to face him again. His bright eyes beamed at him. “But also, we should do this again sometime. Maybe not the whole arts and crafts thing, but the whole seeing each other in real life thing. If you want.”

“Definitely,” Kravitz said, too quickly, and Taako’s smile widened.

“Good,” he said. He fell silent, fingers on Kravitz’s wrist, rain falling around them. There were puddles forming around their feet. Kravitz’s shoes would be ruined.

“Are you going to make us stand here in the rain all night, or are you going to kiss me?” Taako finally blurted out.

Kravitz blinked. Taako was still staring up at him, eyebrows pulled together into something almost defiant, and Kravitz was hit with such a fierce wave of affection that he didn’t stop to think about what he did next.

Taako pressed closer when Kravitz rested a hand on his cheek and leaned in. Their lips met, and the rain fell around them, and Taako tasted of wine and faded lip gloss as his mouth moved against Kravitz’s.

Taako’s hands fell to Kravitz’s chest, fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt. Kravitz gripped the umbrella tightly as he leaned into the kiss, into the soft lines of Taako’s mouth beneath his. It should have been awkward, because it had been so long since Kravitz had kissed anyone, but it was just- nice.

All too soon, Taako pulled away. He laughed, a bit breathless, and reached up to brush his fingers against his bottom lip. “Maybe I can sneak you in the back entrance,” he said.

Kravitz smiled down at him. “Soon.”

“Fuck. That’d better be a promise, stud.” Taako smoothed his hand against Kravitz’s chest, leaned up to press his lips swiftly to Kravitz’s once more, and then pulled away. “I’ll text you,” he said, before turning with his skirt gathered in both hands and sprinting for the door. 

Kravitz waited until he had yanked it open and slipped inside, out of the rain. Before it closed, Taako glanced at him once more and blew a kiss. Kravitz lifted his free hand and caught it.

Taako’s laugh rang through the rainy street, loud and sweet. “Sap!” he called, then shut the door behind him.

It was a long walk back to Kravitz’s apartment, and he was soaked by the time he got there. When he did, he shucked off his wet clothes, shook out his umbrella, and fell back on the couch. Taako’s laugh was still ringing in his ears. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took a little longer than usual! Next week is final's week, and it's really kicking my ass. Thanks for all the continued support!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: sexy scene about halfway through this chapter.

Texting Styles:

Taako

**Kravitz**

_ Magnus _

**_Merle_ **

**_Lup_ **

Sloane

Thursday- AM

(10:38) gm handsome

(10:39) i get to say that now bc i know what ur face looks like

(10:42)  **I get to say it as well, then.**

(10:44) wish u would

(10:45)  **Good morning, handsome.**

(10:47) wow thank u <3<3

(10:47) glad ur not ghosting me

(10:49)  **Why would I ghost you?**

(10:50) idk

(10:50) bad kisser?

(10:51)  **Definitely not.**

(10:52) oo la la

(10:52) do i get a repeat then?

(10:53)  **I would like that.**

(10:54) aw fuck yeah

(10:55) i had fun last night

(10:56)  **Me too.**

(10:58) yay

(10:59)  **I’m not sure how much time has to pass before I can ask you on a second date.**

(11:01) i think its a few days

(11:01) but im willing to make an exception for you

(11:02)  **Would you like to go on a second date?**

(11:03) i thought you’d never ask :-)

(11:04) im making dinner for everyone this sat if u wanna come

(11:05)  **Everyone?**

(11:06) is that okay?

(11:07)  **I don’t want to intrude.**

(11:08) ok 1. i invited u u dork

(11:08) 2. ur not intruding 

(11:09) ever

(11:11)  **Thank you.**

(11:12)  **I’d love to come.**

(11:14) awesome

(11:15) hope u like pasta

(11:17)  **I’m sure I’ll like anything that you make.**

(11:19) ugh 

(11:19) ur cute

(11:20) ok im gonna get yelled at i gotta go

(11:21)  **Have fun.**

(11:22) haha i wont

(11:23) bye krav

(11:24)  **Goodbye, Taako.**

X

Thursday- PM

(6:32)  _ is he still blushing _

(6:34)  **_Red as a tomato._ **

(6:37)  _ aw!!! the honeymoon phase is always the cutest _

(6:41)  **_He’s whistling._ **

(6:42)  _ AW _

(6:46) hey do u two wanna do me a favor and fuck off

(6:48)  **_No but I’m sure Kravitz would be willing to do that._ **

(6:49)  _ do what _

(6:50) fuck off merle thats not clever

(6:51)  _ whats not clever _

(6:52)  **_You’ve been humming that one disney song all fucking day. I can tease you if i fucking want._ **

(6:53)  _ what disney song _

(6:55) fuck off

(6:56)  _ is it i wont say im in love from hercules!!!! _

(6:58) i hate both of you

(6:59)  _ no u dont <3 <3 _

(7:00) yes i do

(7:01)  _ no u dont _

(7:01) yes i do

[plant daddyy Has Left the Conversation]

[plant daddyy Has Been Added to the Conversation]

(7:03)  **_Let me leave or let me die._ **

(7:04) lup wont let us do the second one

(7:05)  **_Damn._ **

(7:07)  _ @taako are u still making us food on saturday _

(7:08) yea

(7:09) kravitz is coming

(7:10)  _!!!!!!!!!! _

(7:11) oh god

(7:12)  _ OH MY GOD THATS SO AMAZING _

(7:12)  _ IM SO EXCITED TO MEET HIM  _

(7:13)  _ WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOOWWO _

(7:14)  **_Hey Taako. Are you sure you want to bring your new boyfriend over on the second date?_ **

(7:15) yeah im reconsidering

(7:17)  _ NOOOOOO :( :( :( _

(7:18) i’ll bring him if u promise u can behave

(7:19)  _ I PROMISE _

(7:20) :/

(7:21)  _ i promise.  _

(7:22) hm

(7:23) ok

(7:25)  _ YAYYYYYYYY :D XD :) :)  _

[plant daddyy Has Left the Conversation]

(7:27)  _ taako can you add him back??? _

(7:28) no im gonna let him have this

(7:29)  _ ok :( _

X

Thursday- PM

(5:34)  soooooooo

(5:37)  **Yes?**

(5:38)  why have we not discussed what happened last night

(5:40)  **Sorry. Busy day at work.**

(5:41)  that’s okay

(5:42)  what happened last night

(5:42)  did he show

(5:44)  **Yes.**

(5:45)  and? 

(5:47)  **It was… really lovely.**

(5:49)  oh shit that’s kravitz talk for ‘i’m in love’

(5:50)  **Don’t be ridiculous.**

(5:51)  tell me all about it

(5:53)  **We made pottery.**

(5:54)  **I walked him home.**

(5:56)  did u kiss him

(5:57)  **Yes.**

(5:58)  KRAVVVV thats so CUTE

(6:00)  **I was unaware that he was… that attractive.**

(6:01)  yeah?

(6:02)  **Yes.**

(6:03)  aw krav

(6:03)  are u gonna see him again

(6:04)  **Yes. He invited me over for dinner this Saturday.**

(6:05)  **With his family.**

(6:07)  family already??

(6:08)  **It’s not like that.**

(6:09)  **They’re his friends. They’re closer than family, I think.**

(6:09)  **Also his twin sister.**

(6:10)  intense

(6:11)  **Yes.**

(6:13)  r u okay

(6:14)  **I am. I think it’s a good thing that he wants me to meet them.**

(6:16)  u really like him, don’t u

(6:19)  **Yes.**

(6:20)  krav

(6:20)  im happy for you

(6:21)  I am too!!!!! -Hurley

(6:23)  **Ha**

(6:24)  **Thanks, guys.**

(6:26)  anytime, krav

(6:27)  we hope u get laid soon

(6:29)  **You always know how to ruin the moment, Sloane.**

(6:30)  its a gift

X

Friday- AM 

(9:56) 

(10:03)  **Are you trying to tell me something?**

(10:06) would u care if i were a vampire

(10:08)  **No.**

(10:11) gay

(10:13)  **No, actually, I’m straight.**

(10:14) dont even fucking joke abt that

(10:15) hows work

(10:17)  **It’s fine. Slow day.**

(10:18) thats probably… good, right? less ppl dying?

(10:19)  **If you look at it that way. How’s your day?**

(10:22) too fucking busy

(10:23) wish u were here

(10:25)  **I do, too.**

(10:26) gay

(10:27)  **I know.**

(10:28) u still coming over tomorrow?

(10:30)  **If you want me to.**

(10:31) of fucking course i do

(10:31) magnus is gonna b unbearable tho

(10:32) also merle

(10:33) actually everyone. they’re the literal worst

(10:35)  **I’m looking forward to meeting them.**

(10:37) yeah we’ll see how excited u r when u actually meet them

(10:37) fucking hell

(10:38)  **Are you being yelled at?**

(10:43) yes

(10:43) i hate capitalism

(10:44) bye

(10:45)  **Bye.**

X

Saturday- AM

(1:03) hi

(1:16)  **Hi.**

(1:17)  **You’re up late.**

(1:19) so r u

(1:20)  **That’s true.**

(1:24) can i 

(1:26)  **Yes?**

(1:27) am i keeping u up

(1:28)  **No.**

[calling- death boy]

**“Hello?”**

“Hi. Sorry.”

**“No, don’t apologize. What is it?”**

“...I dunno. It’s stupid.”

**“No, it isn’t.”**

“You don’t even know what it is.”

**“I know it’s not stupid.”**

“Ha. Okay.”

**“...”**

“I was thinking about stuff, and- I don’t know.”

**“Bad night?”**

“Yeah.”

**“Do you…”**

“Yeah?”

**“I don’t know if you want me to, but I could come over.”**

“Oh, Kravitz, you don’t have to do that.”

**“I know. But if it would help, I would.”**

“I…” 

**“Taako?”**

“It’s late.”

**“Do you want me to come over?”**

“...Yes.”

**“Okay. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”**

“Okay. Thanks.” 

**“You’re welcome. I’ll be right there.”**

X

Saturday- AM

The door opened only a few seconds after Kravitz knocked. 

“Hi,” Taako said, motioning Kravitz in with a tired flick of his wrist. “Sorry about the mess.”

Kravitz glanced around as he stepped in. “Your apartment isn’t that messy.”

“No, I meant me,” Taako said, closing the door again.

Kravitz frowned at him. Taako looked decidedly less glamorous than he had on their first date- his hair was tied back in a messy braid, he wasn’t wearing any makeup, and he had a bright pink blanket wrapped around his shoulders like a cape- but Kravitz’s heart still skipped a beat when Taako turned back to look at him.

“Are you alright?” Kravitz asked.

Taako blinked. He looked exhausted, like a strong wind might knock him over. “I’m fine.”

“Taako,” Kravitz said, brow furrowing.

Taako wrapped the blanket more securely around his shoulders and looked down at his bare feet. Something tightened in Kravitz’s chest. He stepped forward and carefully placed a hand on Taako’s shoulder.

“You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to,” Kravitz said, keeping his voice gentle the way his mom did when she was trying to comfort him. “You can, if that’ll help. But we can also just… I don’t know. Sit in silence, if you want.”

That made Taako smile a bit. “My sister says I’m not good at silence.”

“I know you aren’t, but I thought I’d offer.”

Taako took a step back, away from Kravitz’s touch, and Kravitz was disappointed for a moment before one of Taako’s hands snaked out from under the blanket and reached towards Kravitz.

“Come on,” he said, grabbing Kravitz’s hand and squeezing it lightly.

Kravitz followed Taako down a narrow hall toward a doorway at the end. Before he opened it he paused and said, “Okay, I  _ am  _ sorry about this mess.”

Kravitz trailed after Taako into what he assumed was his bedroom. While Taako kicked rumpled clothing under the bed, Kravitz looked around, trying to take it all in as quickly as possible. It was just as he’d imagined it, if a little messier than he’d expected. Most of the room was taken up by a large bed, a desk covered in dirty plates and cups and paper, and a vanity table brimming with makeup.

“I know, it’s a shit show,” Taako said. When Kravitz turned back around he was sitting on the bed, watching Kravitz with a nervous expression that looked out of place on Taako’s face.

Kravitz shook his head. “I like it,” he said.

Taako grinned without his usual energy. “Figures,” he said. “Come on, you can have a seat. I don’t bite.”

Kravitz lowered himself onto the bed beside Taako. He had left the house so quickly he hadn’t changed out of his pajamas, so he was still wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. It was probably alright, though, because Taako was wearing pajamas too, a pale yellow tank top and green shorts that showed off a lot of skin that Kravitz was decidedly not looking at because holy  _ shit not the time, Kravitz.  _

“You really didn’t have to come,” Taako said. He pulled his knees up to his chest and stared at his feet. He looked incredibly small underneath the fluffy pink blanket.

“Taako, do you want to talk?”

Taako tucked his chin on his knees. “I was just thinking about… stuff.”

“About… was it about us?”

“Yeah,” Taako said. He caught the look on Kravitz’s face and raised his head again. “No, nothing like that. I- we’re good, my dude. I mean, I’m good. All’s good on this end. I was just thinking about-” He hesitated, opening and closing his mouth without saying anything. “I- remember that guy I told you about?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah. I was thinking about him, I guess. And you.”

Kravitz suddenly felt a bit sick to his stomach. “Did I do something…?”

“No!” Taako’s hands flew out from beneath his blanket, held up in the air in a sign of frantic peace. “No, oh my god, no, Krav. You’re fine. You’re, like, the nicest person I’ve ever met.”

“Then what…?”

“I’m not used to people being nice to me, Kravitz. I’m not used to- fuck.” Taako tucked his hands back in and curled up tighter, chin going back to his knees. “Maybe Lup is right,” he said, his voice muffled by the blanket. “I should go back to fucking therapy.”

The bed creaked underneath him as Kravitz slowly shifted closer to Taako. One green eye peeked up at him, wide and rimmed with old, smudged eyeliner. 

“Do you want…” Kravitz trailed off, unsure how to tell Taako that he wanted to hold him, because Taako looked one breath away from falling apart. “I mean…” 

Taako sniffed. The blanket shifted, and then Kravitz was opening his arms to let Taako lean up against him, curling in so that his head was pressed against Kravitz’s chest.

“I’m sorry,” Taako said. “This is really unsexy of me, isn’t it?”

“I don’t care about that, Taako.”

“Yeah, that’s really fucking weird, too.” Taako sniffed again. It didn’t look like he was crying, but he seemed pretty close to it. “People normally just like me because I’m pretty.”

“I don’t,” Kravitz said. When Taako quirked an eyebrow at him, he said quickly, “I mean, I do think you’re pretty. You’re really pretty, Taako. But I also- that’s not what I like about you. I like all the other stuff.” 

Taako’s feet brushed Kravitz’s as he curled up tighter against Kravitz’s side. “Go on,” he mumbled.

“You make me laugh,” Kravitz said. “You’re always sending me those stupid shirts, and it’s an old joke, but it makes me laugh every time.”

“Because it’s funny.”

Kravitz squeezed Taakos shoulders gently. “Because it’s funny,” he agreed. “And you’re- you’re smart, Taako, and you’re always talking about the most interesting things, and you’re confident, which is really attractive by the way, and you- you care so fucking much about your family and friends, even if you sometimes pretend that you don’t.”

“They’re all assholes,” Taako said, but he was smiling, just a bit.

“I’m sure they are,” Kravitz said. “But you care about them. And they care about you, yeah? They haven’t stuck with you this long just because you’re pretty.”

“I dunno,” Taako said. “I’m really pretty.”

“That’s true,” Kravitz acquiesced, and Taako laughed. He reached up to wipe quickly at his eyes with a sniff. 

“You’re really good at talking,” Taako said. “It’s annoying.”

“You don’t mind.”

“No, I don’t.” Taako wrapped his arms around Kravitz’s waist, slotting securely against him so that he was lying beside him on the bed. “This means you have to make all my phone calls for me, though.”

Kravitz laughed. “I suppose I can handle that.”

“Good.”

Kravitz lifted his hand and smoothed back a piece of Taako’s hair that had escaped the braid. Taako turned his nose into Kravitz’s chest and took a long, deep breath.

“Anything else you want to talk about?” Kravitz asked.

Taako shook his head. “No,” he said. “It was just that. I was thinking about Sazed and all of that shit and it just got a bit overwhelming.”

“Are you alright now?”

“I…” Taako lifted his chin to look at Kravitz, and Kravitz wanted to kiss him. “Yeah. I think so. For right now.”

“That’s all we need to worry about tonight,” Kravitz said. And then, because he could, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Taako’s forehead. “And- Taako. I know it doesn’t really mean anything, but I wouldn’t… I’m not going to do that to you.”

“What, kill four people?” When Kravitz didn’t respond, Taako looked up and winced. “Bad joke. Sorry,” he said. He sat up, blanket sliding off him as he kicked a leg over so that he was straddling Kravitz, leaning over him with a small smile. “Thank you, Kravitz,” he said, reaching out to touch Kravitz’s cheeks. “It does mean something.”

When Taako kissed him, Kravitz brought his hands up and placed them on Taako’s waist. He tilted his head back as their lips moved, slow and unhurried. Taako’s hand found its way to Kravitz’s hair, where it wove into his locs and pulled so that long fingernails scraped against his scalp, and Kravitz made a noise that had Taako pulling away from him and staring down with wide eyes.

“Fuck, Kravitz,” he said. His cheeks were flushed pale pink. One of his tank top straps had slipped down his bare shoulder. “You’re really fucking hot, you know that?”

Before Kravitz could respond, Taako lowered himself down, lips finding Kravitz’s neck. Kravitz bit back a moan when he felt Taako’s teeth scrape his skin, when Taako kissed and sucked and did things that would definitely be visible in the morning. “Taako,” Kravitz breathed out, hand slipping under the hem of Taako’s shirt to slide up his back, to touch the soft skin there, and Taako made a sound like a kitten mewling and arched under his fingers.

“Like, holy shit,” Taako said, his breath hot on Kravitz’s neck. He lowered his hips down, and Kravitz felt the hard length of his erection against his thigh, and Kravitz’s brain short circuited. “I think I hit the jackpot when I texted you.”

“Taako,” Kravitz groaned. Taako went back to kissing his neck, choosing a new spot with every kiss, moving down towards Kravitz’s collarbones. When Kravitz felt hands grabbing at the hem of his shirt, he swallowed and said, “Taako, wait.”

Taako stopped immediately. His head popped up, braid askew, eyes wide. “What?”

Kravitz reached out to brush his thumb along Taako’s cheekbone. “You don’t have to do this,” he murmured. “I mean- you said you felt overwhelmed earlier. If you’re not up for anything right now, I won’t mind.”

Taako stared at him a moment longer. Then he reached up and grabbed Kravitz’s hand, turning his head to press a kiss to his palm. 

“You’re fucking great, Krav,” he said. He leaned up again, stretching so that his lips were hovering inches from Kravitz’s again, and Kravitz’s body thrummed like a coiled spring. “An absolute fucking gentleman. I’m gonna suck your dick now.”

When Taako tugged at Kravitz’s shirt, Kravitz complied, sitting up so Taako could pull it up and over his head. Taako pressed his lips to Kravitz’s bare chest, kissing his collarbone, stopping at each nipple to kiss and suck until Kravitz was gasping and clutching at the blankets.

“I haven’t even started yet, champ,” Taako murmured, hands moving to the waistband of Kravitz’s pants. He slipped his fingers under the hem, tugging, and Kravitz lifted his hips as Taako tugged his sweatpants and underwear down with one fell swoop.

“Fuck,” Taako said, and then his mouth was on Kravitz’s inner thigh, biting and sucking, and Kravitz gasped and said, “Taako, please-”

“Please what?” Taako’s head came up, enough to grin at Kravitz. Whatever exhaustion he had been carrying like a weight earlier had fallen off of him in the last few minutes. His eyes were bright, wrinkled at the corners when he smiled, and through all of the physical sensations Kravitz felt a great rush of affection.

“Taako,” he said, his voice soft. He reached down to grab what he could, brushing his fingers along Taako’s jaw. “You’re beautiful.”

Taako’s smile dropped. He licked his lips, looking suddenly nervous, then said, “Jeez, Krav, you can’t just- I can’t make you beg for a blowjob after  _ that. _ ”

Kravitz’s fingers moved to pinch Taako’s sharp chin lightly. He made eye contact with Taako, staring him down.

“Please suck my dick,” he said.

Taako didn’t disappoint. When he took Kravitz in his mouth Kravitz gasped and grabbed at the blankets, the sheets, anything, saying Taako’s name over and over again until it was a steady stream that fell off his lips as easily as his favorite song would. He reached down to grab Taako’s hair, to weave his fingers into it and press down and buck his hips, Taako’s eager movements encouraging him, and it was  _ so good _ . 

“Taako,” he gasped out. It hadn’t been long enough, but Kravitz could feel heat building in his abdomen. “Taako, I’m going to-”

Taako bobbed his head to signify that he heard and curled his fingernails into the soft skin of Kravitz’s inner thigh. Kravitz groaned, unable to hold it back any longer, and felt a great rush of pleasure as he came.

“Taako,” Kravitz breathed when he was finished. Taako pressed one more kiss to Kravitz’s hip and then lifted his head, reaching up to wipe his mouth. He was panting, but he looked pleased with himself.

“How you feeling, stud?” he asked.

Kravitz leaned forward and grabbed Taako’s hips. Taako made a surprised sound as Kravitz pulled him down, rolling them over so that Taako was lying beneath him. Kravitz kissed him, dragging his teeth along Taako’s bottom lip.

When he pulled away, Taako stared up at him, lips parted and chest heaving. He looked amazingly debauched, his hair almost completely loose from its braid and spread across the pillows, tank top lifted and skewed.

“Goodness,” he said, out of breath. “You don’t stop, do you?”

“We’re not done yet,” Kravitz said, slipping a hand down to the hem of Taako’s shorts. When he felt Taako stiffen he stopped and looked back at him. “I can stop.”

“No,” Taako said. He swallowed, then reached up to put his hands on Kravitz’s shoulders. “I just- sorry. You’re being very considerate, is all. If you want to… go for it, my dude.”

Kravitz frowned, searching Taako’s face for any sign of discomfort, but Taako didn’t seem to be lying. Cautiously, slower than before, Kravitz tugged down Taako’s shorts. When he took Taako in his hand, Taako gasped, pressing his head back against the pillows so that his neck was bared.

“Oh, fuck,” he said as Kravitz started moving his hand, slow and steady. Unable to help himself, Kravitz leaned in and pressed his lips to Taako’s neck, biting and sucking like Taako had done earlier, not ceasing the pace he had set on Taako’s cock. “Oh, fuck, oh, shit, Kravitz-”

Kravitz quickened his pace. Taako twitched underneath him, squirmed, moaned and moved his hips in time with Kravitz’s ministrations. Kravitz sucked at Taako’s neck until he was certain it would bruise and then moved up, kissing Taako’s jaw, his cheek, his lips, and when Taako slipped his tongue into Kravitz’s mouth Kravitz rewarded him with a flick of his wrist that made Taako groan.

“Kravitz,” he said against his lips, “I’m close, I’m-”

Kravitz pressed harder into the kiss, shoved his tongue in to shut Taako up, and Taako’s entire body tensed as he came with a moan that Kravitz felt in his throat. 

Taako spilled over Kravitz’s hand, wet and warm. Kravitz slowed his pace as Taako came, then stopped when he stilled underneath him, relaxing back against the pillows with a sigh.

Kravitz sat up on his knees. Taako stayed lying down, arms stretched out on either side of him.

“Are you alright?” Kravitz asked.

Taako blinked, long and slow. “Kravitz,” he said. “You just gave me one of the best fucking orgasms of my life, and you’re asking me if I’m  _ alright _ ?”

Kravitz grinned. “Just wondering.”

“Dork,” Taako said. He sat up, glanced at Kravitz’s hand, and then leaned over to snatch up the shorts he had kicked off. “Here,” he said. “I’m way too tired to get a towel.”

Kravitz chuckled and wiped off his hand, then moved to clean off Taako’s inner thighs as the man’s cheeks flushed and he mumbled something about Kravitz being a sap. When he was done Taako snatched the dirty shorts from his hand and flung them across the room much further than was necessary.

He leaned over and turned the lamp on his bedside table off. “C’mere,” he said, falling back against the pillows. Kravitz obliged, lying down beside him and opening his arms for Taako to wriggle into. Taako was warm and sweaty, and they both reeked of sex, but Kravitz just grabbed the duvet and pulled it up over them, draping his arm over Taako’s waist.

“God, your feet are cold,” Taako said, brushing his toes over Kravitz’s.

“Sorry,” Kravitz said, moving to pull them away, but Taako caught his ankle with his feet and tugged him closer.

“Don’t. I’ll warm them up, bring them here.”

Taako’s back was pressed against Kravitz’s chest. Kravitz ran his fingers along Taako’s hip, his stomach, circling the soft skin around his belly button. 

He felt Taako shiver, and then his hand grabbed Kravitz’s, squeezing his fingers. “Careful, champ,” he murmured into the darkness. “I’m too tired for round two.”

Kravitz chuckled and leaned in to press a kiss to the top of Taako’s head. Taako sighed, sounding content, and tucked Kravitz’s feet more securely under his.

“Thanks for coming,” he said.

“Don’t be a sap.”

“That’s my fucking line.”

“Ha. Go to sleep, Taako.”

“M’kay. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

X

Saturday- AM

Kravitz woke up to an empty bed.

For a moment he lay there, disoriented, wondering if Taako had left. Then he remembered that he was in Taako’s bed, in his apartment, so it would have been kind of silly for the other man to leave.

Kravitz sat up slowly and stretched with a yawn. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Purple curtains were pulled across the window, but there was a bit of sunlight streaming in through the gaps. It must be well into the morning, which threw Kravitz off because he normally never slept in past seven.

He found his clothes lying in a heap on the floor and quickly pulled them back on. He shook his hair and pushed it out of his face, and then stood there, staring at the closed door. He should go look for Taako, right? He was probably in another room.

The apartment was silent as Kravitz crept out. The wooden floors were cold under his bare feet as Kravitz walked down the short hallway and peeked out into the living room. It was empty, and when Kravitz moved forward, he saw that the kitchen was as well.

A door opened behind Kravitz, startling him. He turned around to see a man he didn’t recognize emerge, shuffle into the living room, and stop at the sight of Kravitz.

They stared at each other. The man was very short with a thick red beard and square glasses that seemed to glare out at Kravitz. He was wearing what looked like a pair of boxers and a thin plaid robe.

“You don’t live here,” he said, his voice gruff. “Do you?”

“No,” Kravitz said. He blinked, trying to get his mind to work a bit faster. He wished he had coffee. “I’m- sorry, are you Merle?”

“Yes,” the man said slowly, eyeing Kravitz suspiciously. “You a burglar or something?”

“What? No, I- sorry, my name is Kravitz, I don’t know if Taako said anything or-”

“You’re Kravitz?” When Kravitz nodded, Merle’s frown deepened, and his gaze dragged over Kravitz very purposefully from head to toe. “Hm,” he said. “Where’s Taako?”

“I’m not sure,” Kravitz said, feeling exceedingly uncomfortable. “I thought that-”

The front door opened with a bang. “Oh, good, you’re up,” Taako said, shuffling in the door with a grin. Four plastic grocery bags hung from his arm, swaying precariously as he shut the door with his foot. “You looked tired, so I let you sleep. Who wants breakfast?”

“You didn’t tell me you’d be having a guest,” Merle said as Taako dumped the bags on the kitchen counter.

“Oh, good, Merle’s here too,” Taako said. His hair was tied up in a messy bun, and he was wearing a baggy red sweater that had no right looking so good on him. He walked over and smiled at Kravitz. “How’d you sleep?”

“Just fine,” Kravitz said. Taako leaned in and kissed him, and it all felt perfectly natural even with a stranger scowling at them. 

“Gross,” Merle said.

Taako pulled away from Kravitz and glared at Merle. “Your jealousy is showing, short stack.”

“It’s not even fucking noon,” Merle said, almost to himself. Then, louder, “I want breakfast too.”

“Fat chance!”

“Call me when it’s ready,” Merle said, and then turned around and walked away without another glance at Kravitz.

Kravitz winced when he heard a door slam shut. “I think that went poorly,” he said.

“Nah, Merle’s just like that,” Taako said. “Coffee?”

Kravitz followed Taako to the kitchen. Taako walked over to an ancient-looking coffee maker on the counter, flipping the lid open.

“Does he not like me?” Kravitz asked. He was a bit bothered about the whole thing, because he had been hoping that Taako’s friends would at least be able to  _ tolerate _ him. He felt like that was important when it came to being with Taako.

“What? No, of course not,” Taako said. He measured the coffee grounds carelessly, tossing them in and closing the lid. “He’s just protective, is all. Also a jerk. He’ll warm up to you soon.”

From the way that Merle had glared at him, Kravitz somehow doubted that. 

Taako punched a few buttons on the coffee machine and turned away from it as it began to heat up. “So, what are we feeling for breakfast?” he asked, leaning back against the counter and crossing his arms. “I make a mean omelette.”

“You don’t have to make me anything,” Kravitz said, and Taako rolled his eyes.

“Don’t insult me, Kravitz. I’m going to make you food, and you’re going to compliment me. It’ll be great.”

Kravitz smiled. “An omelette sounds lovely, then.”

“That’s the ticket,” Taako said. He pushed himself off of the counter and walked towards Kravitz. When he kissed him this time it was slower, lingering, with Taako’s hands wandering up Kravitz’s shoulders and down his arms.

“Get the eggs out of the bag for me, will you?” he murmured against Kravitz’s lips before giving him one last peck and pulling away.

Kravitz mostly watched as Taako worked, impressed by the man’s casual skill in the kitchen. He cracked eggs into a bowl with one hand and whisked with the other, humming a tune Kravitz didn’t recognize. He chopped vegetables with precision that Kravitz envied, combining everything in a sizzling pan on the stove.

At one point Merle wandered back in for a cup of coffee. Kravitz sat at the counter, feeling awkward as the man poured his drink and then turned to stare silently at Kravitz. Several seconds passed before Taako waved his spatula at Merle and snapped, “Fuck off, Merle, you’re being weird.”

Merle took a long sip of his coffee and wandered away again, disappearing back down the hall. 

Taako flipped the omelettes in a very impressive way and then plated them, finishing them off with a dash of salt and pepper on top. He slid one over to Kravitz, another to the empty seat beside him, and then picked up the last one and a fork.

“I’m gonna go give this to Merle so he doesn’t sit with us,” Taako said. “Hold on.”

Taako returned several minutes later with empty hands and a sour expression on his face.

“What is it?” Kravitz asked, looking up from his mug of coffee.

“Nothing,” Taako said. He sat down beside Kravitz and scooted his chair in. “Merle’s just being difficult. Ready to tuck in?”

Taako waited as Kravitz took the first bite. When he did he froze, momentarily stunned by the taste.

“Taako,” Kravitz said after he had swallowed. “This is- this is incredible.”

“I know,” Taako said, looking pleased. He picked up his own fork and cut a small bite for himself. 

“Wow,” Kravitz said, and took another bite. The omelette melted in his mouth, perfectly cooked and oozing with cheese. “This might be the best thing I’ve ever had.”

“Oh, stop it,” Taako said, grabbing his coffee mug and raising it to his lips. His cheeks were flushed pink.

They talked a little as they ate, mostly about Taako’s cooking. When they lapsed into silence, Kravitz was surprised to find that it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was a familiar silence, an easy one, made all the better when Taako’s foot found his under the counter and hooked their ankles together.

“What are your plans for the day, handsome?” he asked, scraping the last bit of cheese off his plate.

“I told Hurley and Sloane I’d get lunch with them and a few other friends,” Kravitz said. He was warming his fingers on the coffee mug, holding it with both hands. “Not sure I’ll be hungry enough to eat, though.”

“Cafe Taako is pretty filling,” Taako said. “You still want to come over tonight?”

“If that’s alright with you.”

“‘Course,” Taako said. “Dinner’s probably gonna be around six, but you can come whenever.”

“Do you want me to bring anything?”

“Just your cute face,” Taako said, swinging their legs under the counter. “I also wouldn’t say no to a bottle of wine.”

Kravitz chuckled. “I’ll bring wine, then.”

“What a gentleman!” 

Kravitz did the dishes, which seemed to surprise Taako. He sat at the counter and watched as Kravitz scrubbed their plates and rinsed them off, leaving them sitting on a towel on the counter to dry.

“I could get used to having you around, stud,” he said, grinning as Kravitz dried his hands off.

Kravitz folded the towel he was using and set it down. “I could get used to being around,” he said, walking around the kitchen island to where Taako was sitting. Taako turned in his seat to face him, smiling widely.

“Smooth,” he said, reaching up to grab Kravitz’s shirt and pull him down for a kiss.

Not enough time had passed before Kravitz pulled back. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I should get going if I’m going to shower before lunch.”

Taako stuck his lower lip out in a pout. “Alright,” he said. “But only cause you’re coming back later.”

“Of course,” Kravitz said, leaning in to press a kiss to Taako’s cheek. “Tell Merle I’m sorry for surprising him this morning.”

“Oh, I’ve got a few choice words for Merle,” Taako said.

Taako walked him to the front door, pulling it open for him. Kravitz paused in the entryway before leaning back in for a kiss that made Taako laugh.

“Just can’t get enough, can you?” he asked.

“No,” Kravitz said, and Taako’s face softened.

“Go,” he said, pushing Kravitz’s shoulder lightly. “I’ll see you tonight. Tell Sloane and Hurley I said hi.”

“I will,” Kravitz said, backing away. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Taako rolled his eyes, cheeks dimpling with a grin. “Sap,” he said, shutting the door.

Kravitz was beaming as he descended the stairs of the apartment building. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt quite so happy.

X

Saturday- AM

(10:29)  yo r we still on for lunch?

(10:43)  krav

(11:02)  kravitzzzzzz

(11:13)  **Sorry. Yes, I’ll meet you there at noon.**

(11:16)  abt time

(11:17)  did u actually sleep in for once?

(11:21)  **Kind of.**

(11:23)  ???

(11:24)  **I spent the night with Taako.**

(11:26)  oh SHIT

(11:26)  how was it!!!

(11:31)  **It was… very nice.**

(11:32)  **I’ll tell you at lunch.**

(11:34)  you’d better!!

(11:35)  see u in a few!!

X

Saturday- PM

**Group Chat: Tres Horny Boyssss**

(11:15) hey merle

(11:16) ur a fuckin asshole

(11:18)  _ what did he do _

(11:19) fucking made kravitz uncomfortable

(11:21)  **_I didn’t mean to_ **

(11:22)  _ WAIT NOT FAIR I WANT TO MEET KRAVITZ _

(11:24) u will tonight

(11:24) if merle didn’t scare him off

(11:25)  **_I didn’t do anything_ **

(11:26) i fucking saw u glaring at him

(11:28)  _ that’s not nice merle _

(11:29)  **_I don’t know this guy_ **

(11:30) ur not??? dating him??????

(11:32)  **_No, but you are._ **

(11:33) what the fuck does that mean

(11:34)  _ hey maybe we should talk about this later _

(11:35) nonono i want to hear what merle has to say

(11:38) what, now you don’t have an opinion?

(11:39)  **_Maybe I just think you’re going a little too fast._ **

(11:42) hey merle?

(11:42) my relationship is none of your fucking business.

(11:43)  **_You kind of made the last one all of our business._ **

(11:44)  _ merle. stop.  _

(11:45)  **_He wanted my opinion!_ **

(11:46)  _ no i’m with taako on this. it’s not really your business. _

(11:48)  **_Fine_ **

(11:48)  **_Sorry I give a shit._ **

(11:49)  _ taako? _

(11:52) listen

(11:53) i need to start getting ready for dinner because kravitz is coming and i am not cancelling.

(11:53) merle get ur ass in the kitchen. we need to talk

(11:54)  **_I’m watching tv_ **

(11:55) hey merle? i don’t give a fuck.

(11:57)  **_Fine_ **

(11:58)  **_Coming_ **

(12:00)  _ aw this is really mature of u guys _

(12:01)  _ love u <3 _

(12:02) shut up magnus

(12:03)  _ ok love u bye! _

X

Saturday- PM

(2:04)  **_fucking merle got to meet him before me???_ **

(2:08) is this gossip abt taako day?

(2:10)  **_every day is gossip about taako day_ **

(2:11) rude

(2:13)  **_how come merle got to meet him first_ **

(2:14) merle didnt get to do anything. kravitz was here this morning and merle was a jerk to him

(2:17)  **_uh oh_ **

(2:17)  **_what did he do_ **

(2:18) its okay i already told him to knock it off

(2:19) he’ll be better tonight

(2:20)  **_wait he’s coming tonight??_ **

(2:22) uh yeah didn’t i tell u

(2:23)  **_no u fucking spork_ **

(2:24) oh whoops

(2:24) so kravitz is coming tonight

(2:25)  **_shit ok_ **

(2:26) pls tell me ur not gonna be weird too

(2:27)  **_no, im the cool twin_ **

(2:28) bullshit

(2:29)  **_fuck off_ **

(2:29)  **_ im excited to meet him _ **

(2:30) i feel like im gonna regret this

(2:32)  **_nonono it’ll be fine_ **

(2:32)  **_barry is bringing scrabble_ **

(2:33) great! i regret this

X 

Saturday- PM

It felt like deja vu when Kravitz arrived at Taako’s door for the second time that day.

It was just after 5:30, which he figured was an appropriate time to arrive (Taako had said it was fine, so it was fine, right?). It had taken him all day, but he had finally managed to pick out an outfit with help from Hurley- a dark red button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and pressed black trousers. Sloane had somehow convinced him to put his earrings in as well, which he fiddled with self-consciously while he waited for someone to answer his knock. 

It took longer than he expected. Kravitz cradled the bottle of wine he had brought in the crook of his arm. Finally, the door swung open, and Taako’s head poked out.

“Hi,” he said. He had done his makeup for the night and was sporting a very dramatic cat eye and intricate-looking braid. He looked a bit out of breath. “Sorry, I had to beat everyone away from the door.”

Kravitz could hear voices behind Taako, all loud and overlapping, and he was suddenly hit with a sharp wave of nerves. What if they all disliked him as immediately as Merle did? Kravitz wasn’t sure what Taako would do if his family disapproved of him.

“Hey,” Taako said. He opened the door a bit wider and reached out for the collar on Kravitz’s shirt. “You look nice,” he said, smoothing it down.

Kravitz finally found his voice. “So do you,” he said. It was true; Taako was wearing a long blue skirt and a white tank top that showed off his arms quite nicely. Kravitz realized with a start that he had a dark red hickey on his neck in full display.

“Thanks, handsome,” Taako said with a grin. He leaned in, and Kravitz kissed him. He tasted like some kind of berry flavored lip gloss. When Taako pulled away, he rubbed his thumb into Kravitz’s shoulder and said, “I’m glad you’re here. Wanna come in?”

Kravitz nodded, and stepped into the apartment as Taako closed the door behind him.

“I’ll take this, babe,” Taako said, grabbing the bottle of wine in one hand and Kravitz’s hand with the other. “Everyone’s in the living room.” Taako gave it a squeeze and shot him one last smile before tugging him past the entrance hall towards the cacophony of voices at the end. 

“That’s not a fucking word, Barry!” a female voice was shouting as they approached. Kravitz heard a quieter, milder voice respond, and then the woman said, “You have to use the real fucking dictionary!”

“Alright, shut up everyone,” Taako said loudly as he pulled Kravitz into the living room. “I’m interrupting your nerd game to introduce you to my man. Everyone, this is Kravitz. Kravitz, this is everyone.” 

A large man with burly sideburns bounded into Kravitz’s vision. He was beaming broadly, like Kravitz was the best thing he had ever laid eyes on. “Kravitz!” he said, extending his hand. Taako sighed loudly and let go of Kravitz’s hand so Kravitz could accept it. “It’s so nice to finally meet you! I’m Magnus!”

“It’s nice to meet you as well,” Kravitz said, letting Magnus wring his hand.

“Okay, okay, hands off my boy, Mags,” Taako said, shoving at Magnus’s arm until the man released Kravitz and stepped back. Immediately, a woman took his place, and Kravitz had to do a quick double take- she looked  _ exactly _ like Taako, except she wasn’t wearing any makeup and the tips of her hair were dyed pale red.

“Hiya,” she said with a grin. “I’m Taako’s better half.”

“Lies and slander,” Taako said.

“Taako’s told me a lot about you, Lup,” Kravitz said, and Lup’s smile seemed to widen.

“I sure fucking hope he has,” she said. She jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the couch, where a middle-aged man with square glasses was sitting with what looked like a dictionary in his lap. “That’s my boy, Barry, I’ll bet you two will get along really well. And you already know Merle over there. Don’t worry, he’s in time out for his behavior.”

Merle grunted and crossed his arms. “Are we gonna keep playing this stupid game?”

“I need to go finish dinner,” Taako said. “You wanna come watch, Krav?”

“No, he should play Scrabble with us!” Magnus said, hopping from one foot to the other like an overgrown puppy. Taako frowned at Kravitz, a question in his eyes, and Kravitz smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.

“I’ll watch the rest of the game,” he said, and was rewarded with a grin from Taako.

“Sounds good, babe,” he said. He leaned forward to kiss Kravitz’s cheek, which elicited a chorus of groans from everyone else in the room. “Aw, can it, everyone,” he snapped, flicking his braid and marching away to the kitchen.

“Come on, Kravitz, you can be on my team,” Lup said. Kravitz rubbed his sweaty palms on his trousers and followed her, trying to remind himself that this wasn’t going bad so far, that they didn’t seem to dislike him yet. “You any good at Scrabble?”

“I used to play it with my mothers a lot,” Kravitz said, sitting carefully on the sofa beside Lup. The game was spread out on the coffee table. He, Lup, and Barry were squished onto the couch, while Magnus and Merle had sprawled out on the floor.

“Kind of unfair that you get to be a team,” Merle muttered.

“Merle,” Lup said, crossing her legs, “every time you make a stupid comment I am going to march into your room and rip a leaf off of your spider plant.”

Merle looked scandalized. “You can’t do that!”

“Fucking watch me,” Lup said. She assessed the board, then grabbed a tile and put it down. “Tree. Gimme my points, babe.”

Barry wrote something down on a piece of paper, straightened his glasses, and surveyed his own tiles. “Copil,” he said, putting a few down.

Lup groaned. “That’s not a word.”

“It’s Romanian for child.”

“We’re not playing in fucking Romanian, Barry.”

“Does success have two c’s?” Magnus asked, frowning down at his tiles. 

Merle was watching Kravitz. Kravitz could feel his eyes on him, but he resolutely did not look at the other man. Instead, he said, “Yes.”

“Shoot,” Magnus said with a sigh, and added an ‘s’ onto Lup’s word to make trees.

“Taako says you work with dead people,” Merle said.

Kravitz looked at him. “I work in a mortuary,” he said. “It’s a family business.”

Merle frowned, but Magnus said, “That’s so cool. You ever get any really gross stuff?”

“Sometimes,” Kravitz said. Then, on a hunch, he said, “We got a homicide victim once. He was shot twice in the forehead.”

Barry leaned forward to peer around Lup and blink at Kravitz. “Was the skull shattered?” 

“Uh,” Kravitz said. “It wasn’t really intact?” 

“Fascinating,” Barry said, then looked back at the Scrabble board as though he were pondering his next move.

Something brushed against Kravitz’s leg. He lifted his foot and looked down into the squished face of a bright orange cat. One of its eyes shone pure white out of mottled scar tissue; it must have been injured in a fight.

“Garfield!” Magnus said. Kravitz reached down to offer his hand to the cat. It sniffed his fingers, ears perked up curiously, then meowed, and suddenly there was a cat in Kravitz’s lap. “Aw, he likes you!”

Garfield kneaded Kravitz’s knees before sitting down. Kravitz scratched his ears, trying not to think about how awful the orange hair would look against his pants.

“I’m torn between being horrified at how much of a cat lady you are, and touched by how fucking domestic this all is.” Kravitz looked up to find Taako standing in the doorway, arms crossed. His head was cocked to the side, loose tendrils of hair curling at the nape of his neck.

“You’re just jealous he likes me,” Kravitz said, and Garfield purred in response.

Taako made a face. “As if,” he said. “Alright, losers, get on your feet and come get some dinner.”

Lup leapt to her feet and sprinted for the kitchen so quickly it made Kravitz jump. As the others stood and wandered off after her, Kravitz carefully picked up Garfield and set him down on the ground. The cat gave a small, disgruntled meow before turning and marching off in the direction of the bedrooms.

“Kravitz, can I have a word?”

Kravitz looked up. Merle was standing there, arms crossed, scowling down at him, and Kravitz’s stomach dropped.

“Of course,” he said, and stood smoothly. Merle turned to follow the direction that Garfield had disappeared in, and Kravitz followed, surreptitiously wiping cat hair off of his pants as he did.

Merle stopped in the hallway. It was dark here, with just enough light coming from the living room for Kravitz to see the glint of the man’s eyes under his burly eyebrows. He was still looking at Kravitz as though Kravitz had purposefully stepped on his foot. 

“Taako’s a piece of shit sometimes,” he said, his voice low, “but the kid means a lot to me.”

“I know,” Kravitz said.

“You also know that he’s been fucked over in the past.” Kravitz nodded. “Listen. I was the one who had to fucking live with him after all that shit, and you know what? It was bad. I don’t want a repeat of that.”

“I understand,” Kravitz said, and he did. Merle kind of freaked him out a little bit, but it was obvious that he cared about Taako. Kravitz could respect that. “I know that my word doesn’t mean much right now, but… Merle, I care about Taako. A lot. I would never… I would never purposefully hurt him.”

“Hm,” Merle said. He didn’t look convinced, but the lines in his forehead loosened just a bit. “Good. Sorry if I’ve been a bit of a jerk to you. I still think the way you two met is fucking weird.”

“That’s alright,” Kravitz said. “It was confusing for me as well.” 

“You two keeping secrets from the rest of the group?” Kravitz turned to find Taako standing there. He had a dish towel draped over his shoulder, and he was watching them with a slight frown.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Merle said. Taako rolled his eyes.

“Go get dinner, plant fucker,” Taako said. As Merle passed him the shorter man aimed a kick at Taako’s shins, and Taako ducked out of the way.

“You’re quite creative with your nicknames,” Kravitz said.

Taako grinned at him. It didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I try,” he said. He crossed his arms, rubbing his elbows a bit self-consciously. “Was he giving you the shovel talk?”

“Don’t worry,” Kravitz said. “He kept the threats to a minimum.”

Taako walked up to him. He reached out and touched Kravitz’s collar, fiddling with it and carefully not meeting Kravitz’s eyes. “Hope he didn’t scare you off,” he said.

Kravitz reached up and caught Taako’s hand in his own, stilling it. Taako raised his eyes to Kravitz’s. Kravitz looked at him for a long moment, and then leaned in to press his lips gently to Taako’s. 

“I don’t scare easily,” he said when he pulled back.

This time, Taako’s smile lit up his whole face. “Good,” he said. “‘Cause you’re not getting rid of me now, stud.”

Kravitz grinned and pulled him close, kissing him again. Taako arched into it, gripping his collar, lips responding enthusiastically to Kravitz’s. They didn’t let go until Lup called from the kitchen, “If you two are fucking making out right now I’m going to leave!” 

Taako pulled away and laughed a bit breathlessly. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Lulu,” he called, and winked at Kravitz.

X

Saturday- PM 

(7:16)  **_u two are cute_ **

(7:18) oh, now u approve?

(7:19)  **_ now that i’ve met him, yeah _ **

(7:21) fucking finally

(7:24)  **_i’m serious t_ **

(7:24)  **_he seems really good for you_ **

(7:29) lmao

(7:29) he is

(7:30) go back to ur scrabble

(7:31)  **_< 3_ **

X

Saturday- PM 

(10:28)  **_Is Kravitz staying the night_ **

(10:34) yeah

(10:37)  **_Cool I’ll go grab ear plugs_ **

(10:39) fuck OFF merle

X

Saturday- PM

(11:22)  _ it was so nice to meet u kravitz!!!!! <3 :) :D XD <3 _

(11:27)  **You as well, Magnus.**

(11:28)  **:)**

(11:29)  _!!!!!!!! <3<3<3 _

X

Sunday- PM

(4:32) u get home okay?

(4:35)  **Yes.**

(4:36)  **I hope last night went alright.**

(4:38) babe stop 

(4:38) every1 loved u

(4:39) im serious

(4:40)  **Oh**

(4:41)  **I’m glad.**

(4:43) literally what isn’t there to love

(4:44) im telling u dude i hit the fucking jackpot

(4:45)  **Ha.**

(4:45)  **So did I.**

(4:46) oh, stop it u

(4:47) actually no dont

(4:47) compliment me

(4:48)  **Always.**

(4:49) sap

(4:50) oh fuck garfield’s on top of the fridge

(4:50) magnus is about to cry

(4:51)  **Go rescue your cat.**

(4:52) he is NOT my fucking cat and i cannot believe u bonded w him

(4:53) fuk i gotta go help

(4:53) bye babe ttyl xx

(4:54)  **Ha. I’ll text you later.**

(4:55) ofc ;) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap on this fic! (I think) This feels like a pretty natural stopping point, so I am going to mark this as the last chapter. I'm currently working on a few one-shots within this universe, including a story covering what happened between Taako and Sazed more fully. If you're interested in that, make sure you check back soon!
> 
> Also, I recently posted another Taakitz fic titled "A Bit Alarming." It's a Beauty and the Beast AU oneshot that I'm really happy with, so please check that out if you haven't already! 
> 
> Thank you so much for all the support I received on this fic. Every kudos and comment means so much, and I'm so grateful to have gone on this little journey with all of you. I hope you enjoyed <3


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